Bedlam always seems to leave its mark.
Senior forward Kristian Doolittle learned that the hard way on Saturday.
“I got elbowed after a layup,” Doolittle said following Oklahoma’s practice at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “I realized when I put my hand on my nose it wasn’t straight anymore so I had to go back to the locker room and try to adjust it back there but it didn’t work.”
Doolittle checked out of the game with 17:18 left in the second half and returned with 14:29 on the clock, finishing the game with a broken nose and without a protective mask.
Practicing without a custom mask today, Doolittle will have a formed mask tomorrow in the Sooners’ matchup against Texas Tech.
“…it’s not pleasant at all,” Doolittle said regarding how he liked playing with the mask on.
Doolittle’s minutes will not be restricted going into the game but that could change as Oklahoma had a relatively light practice, not giving him a chance to see if his breathing is affected heavily.
“It’s kinda hard to tell because we didn’t really go up and down (the court) that much today,” Doolittle said. “But only one nostril works so I’ll deal with that during the game.”
With it being the first break Doolittle has suffered in his career, he feels confident that it will not affect how he plays until he gets hit.
“I don’t think I’ll be thinking about my nose until I get hit in it,” Doolittle said. “It really just depends on how I react to the first time I get hit in it if I do get hit in it. Just being able to fight through that.”
Doolittle and the Sooners take on Texas Tech at 8p.m. inside Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
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