Zach Coleman is no stranger to injuries, nor is his injury history much of a secret.
Coleman tore his left ACL and suffered stress fractures in his back in high school and redshirted his freshman year with the Massachusetts men’s basketball team after enduring a stress fracture in his foot before the season began, effectively setting him behind his teammates.
So when UMass coach Derek Kellogg told reporters in early April that both Coleman and forward Seth Berger would miss time this summer due to surgical procedures, it meant yet another round of rehab and another summer of catching up for Coleman.
Yet for the 6-foot-7 forward, who is five weeks removed from surgery on his right knee to repair a small tear in his meniscus, it’s all positive.
“It’s not really something too taxing on me mentally, because I feel like after talking with my family and coaches, it’s actually probably the best thing possible and I have the summer to make sure my body is 100 percent healthy,” Coleman said in a phone interview.
Coleman said the surgery was successful and was aimed at removing debris in his knee, which was causing it to swell. He added that he has stability in his knee and can flex it and is scheduled to shed his crutches and start walking again May 4.
If all goes according to plan, he said he’ll be cleared to resume basketball activities in late August or early September.
According to Coleman, he played the entire 2014-15 season knowing surgery was a possibility following the season, but didn’t want it to take away from his play.
“I’m not going to say it was so much of a hindrance on my play because I did a pretty good job and trainer Dave (Maclutsky) did a good job all season of keeping my knee ready to go,” he said. “It did at times bother me, but not as much as people think it did.”
Back in October, Coleman scored 13 points in 12 minutes in the Minutemen’s 120-71 exhibition win over American International College. But Coleman was unavailable to speak after the game and instead received treatment on his right knee. He said it was something he managed throughout the season.
The redshirt freshman appeared in 32 games and averaged 2.5 points per game. He appeared behind senior Maxie Esho and is in the mix for a larger role this season after Esho and Cady Lalanne graduate. UMass’ only healthy scholarship forward at the moment is center Tyler Bergantino after the injuries to Berger and Coleman, although the team reportedly signed former Texas A&M forward Antwan Space as a fifth-year transfer option who is eligible immediately.
Coleman doesn’t anticipate the injury setting him back in terms of playing time and said both he and his teammates are excited for new prospects next year.
“Our team has been through some changes this offseason and we’re excited about the people that we have and the pieces that we’re adding,” he said. “We’re really excited for next season and we’re looking forward to making a whole lot of noise in the Atlantic 10.
Mark Chiarelli can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @Mark_Chiarelli.
