THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 26, 1996 TAG: 9602260121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines
Mario Mullen expected to spend a lot of time on the court during his senior basketball season at Old Dominion.
He has, but unfortunately for Mullen most of it has been spent lying on the court in front of ODU's bench.
Mullen and two other ODU senior reserves - Derrick Parker and Duffy Samuels - will play their final home games at 7:35 tonight when the Monarchs host East Carolina at Scope. This isn't the way Mullen envisioned going out.
For the second time in Mullen's college career, back problems have virtually washed out a season. The problems can be traced back to an automobile accident Mullen had in April 1993 when he was hit from behind while on his way to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
``It's just been real disappointing,'' said Mullen. ``I sit down every night and analyze what happened, and think if the accident had never happened how my career would be right now.''
Mullen entered his senior year with high aspirations. He had been moved from power forward to small forward to make way for sophomore transfer Joe Bunn. The 6-foot-6 Mullen viewed the switch as a chance to show he could play professionally overseas after college at the position more suited to his size. Mullen - ODU's top returning scorer (12.9 points as a junior), 3-point shooter (40 percent) and rebounder (5.7) - was leaner and quicker than ever.
But his season started poorly. Mullen struggled with the new position, played fewer minutes than he expected and admittedly pouted a bit about coming off the bench. But by late December, he was starting and playing well.
Since then, he's hardly played at all.
In the first half of a game at Cal St. Sacramento, Mullen went up for a jumper, came down and began to run up the court.
``At that point, a sharp pain hit me in my back,'' Mullen said.
He knew that pain. He felt it when the car accident occurred.
It was the pain that resulted in surgery in November 1993, when part of a ruptured spinal disk in the lower left portion of his back was removed to take pressure off a nerve. It was the pain that caused his sophomore year to be a lost season, one in which he ballooned to almost 250 pounds and played just nine minutes a game after making the CAA all-freshman squad the year before.
What Mullen didn't know upon reinjuring the back was that the pain would persist. He sat in street clothes at Scope five days later before ODU's next game and said, ``I'm not even worried about it.''
Mullen missed five games. By the time he was well enough to play again, ODU had settled into a rotation without him. His playing time has been spotty since, although he has appeared in the last four games.
``We were pretty comfortable with the rotation we developed and didn't see any reason to change it,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said.
Mullen has played in six of ODU's last 12 games, averaging nine minutes, 3.3 points and two rebounds. Before the injury he was averaging 21.3 minutes, 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds.
``It goes back to what should have been,'' ODU center Odell Hodge said a couple weeks ago. ``Nobody knows that more than Mario Mullen.''
Hodge, Mullen's roommate, said Mullen sometimes did not know from one day to the next whether he would be in pain.
``I hate to see him suffer like that,'' Hodge said.
The back pain has diminished, but not disappeared. Mullen often watches games while laying on the court on his belly, propped up on his elbows. It hurts to sit long in a chair.
Mullen said an MRI done a few weeks ago showed he has a ruptured disk.
``At some point he's going to have to make a decision about whether he wants to have surgery done,'' Capel said.
Mullen, who says he will graduate in the spring with a degree in psychology, has not contributed the way he wanted to in his final season. But Capel said he has made contributions beyond what shows up in the box score.
``The one thing I can say about it is he has been a man about it,'' Capel said. ``He hasn't pouted. He's been very encouraging to his teammates and he's been positive to Mark (Poag), the guy who has assumed his position. Mario has really done a lot for that kid.''
Poag called the senior he replaced in the lineup one of his best friends on the team.
``I do feel for Mario,'' Poag said. ``This was his senior year. It was supposed to be his time to shine. I can't imagine how he feels.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by Lawrence Jackson\The Virginian-Pilot
Since reinjuring his back, Mario Mullen has played in only six of
Old Dominion's last 17 games. Mullen often watches games while lying
on the court on his belly, propped up on his elbows. It hurts to sit
too long in a chair.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB