Wooga Poplar's status uncertain for Houston game with back injury

If Miami is going to make a Final Four, they may have the toughest path of any team remaining in the Sweet Sixteen. First up will be the favorites to cut down the national championship nets, the Houston Cougars. Heading into the matchup Friday night, injuries are still a concern for head coach Jim Larranaga. Particularly with Wooga Poplar.

During the blowout win against Indiana, Poplar took a hard fall, leading to a bone bruise on his back. Thursday was the first opportunity for Miami to get him back on the court. The previous two days have seen Poplar on the sideline, still letting the injury heal.

“Well, we didn’t practice Monday,” Larranaga said. “He can’t practice Tuesday or Wednesday. Today’s the first chance he had to go up and down since our game against Indiana.”

With Larranaga speaking to the media after practice, he gave his thoughts on Poplar. The head coach was impressed but still wanted to get a final word from the Hurricanes’ trainer. If everything looks okay, Poplar will resume normal activities as far as gameday goes.

“So he looked good to me,” Larranaga said. “I’ll talk to my trainer, and he’ll give me an indication of whether Wooga’s ready to go tomorrow. If he’s ready to go, he’ll be in the starting lineup as always.”

Poplar did not get to play his normal minutes against Indiana, only appearing for 18 minutes. He was still able to contribute though, securing six points, four rebounds, and two assists. Miami is going to have an uphill battle against Houston, no matter what. Getting Poplar back into the lineup would be a huge boost.

Wooga Poplar, Miami looking to make second consecutive Elite Eight

In a down season for the ACC, Miami has been able to carry the torch for the conference. They are the final team remaining in the NCAA Tournament and are hoping to make a second consecutive Elite Eight appearance. Nobody in Coral Gables has been able to accomplish that.

Miami was a popular first-round upset pick against Drake before getting a comfortable win. Larranaga’s squad did even better against Indiana, earning a 16-point victory to close an impressive first weekend.

Houston will be the toughest opponent to date, throughout the entire schedule. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has one thing on his mind — winning a national championship. They will have to get past the Hurricanes first, who will be looking to pull off a major upset.