Luke Fischer out with left shoulder sprain

6-foot-11 freshman center Luke Fischer is out for the next few weeks with a left shoulder sprain, Indiana announced via a press release Thursday afternoon. Fischer suffered the sprain during a scrimmage earlier this week.

Also noted is that Peter Jurkin and Austin Etherington are expected back for the start of official practice this week. Both missed a significant amount of playing time last season due to injury.

Below the jump is the entire release, which includes information on a Tom Crean preseason lecture next week:

FISCHER SIDELINED WITH SPRAINED SHOULDER

Freshman center Luke Fischer (Germantown, Wisc.), a 6-11 center, suffered a sprained left shoulder in a scrimmage earlier this week and will be out for a few weeks.

“Luke has made great strides and was playing with great confidence,” said IU Coach Tom Crean. “He was being aggressive in his pursuit for the basketball when it happened.”

He was a Parade All-American and Wisconsin Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year after he averaged 21.3 points and 9.5. He played for head coach Steve Showalter at Germantown (Wis.) High School and was ranked No. 34 overall by ESPN100 and the No. 4 center. He led his Germantown team to consecutive state championships in his final two years, combining for a 56-0 record his last two seasons.

ETHERINGTON, JURKIN TO PRACTICE
Two players who missed the majority of last season due to injuries, guard/forward Austin Etherington (fractured left patella) and center Peter Jurkin (lower leg) both are expected to participate in the team’s official practices this week.

CREAN TO SPEAK NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Coach Tom Crean will deliver his fifth preseason lecture at 7 p.m. Oct. 2 at the IU Auditorium, according to a Union Board release. The lecture is free and open to the public. This year, the title of the lecture is “The State of the Hoosier Nation.”

Filed to: Austin Etherington, Luke Fischer, Peter Jurkin