Hansbrough will miss UNCA giant

Bulldogs' 7-foot-7 center has part of foot amputated

CHAPEL HILL -- There will be a big void for UNC-Asheville when it plays top-ranked North Carolina this evening.

One that Tar Heel All-American Tyler Hansbrough, in particular, will miss.

Kenny George, the 7-foot-7 center who led the nation in field-goal percentage last season, was released from the hospital the week before Thanksgiving after having part of his right foot amputated as a result of an antibiotic-resistant staph infection. Bulldogs coach Eddie Biedenbach, who talks to the player frequently, said Saturday that after three months in the hospital, most of the infection has been eliminated from George's system, and that he expects the senior to return to classes next semester and earn his degree in mass communication.

But there will be no rematch with Hansbrough today, or ever, much to everyone's regret.

"He's one of my favorite all-time college basketball players,'' Hansbrough said. "I admire the guy. I think a lot of him, and I wish him the best, and I'll miss playing against him."

George made ESPN highlights last season when Hansbrough -- who is 6-9, but looked downright diminutive next to the 370-pound center from Chicago -- dunked over him (albeit with an extra step or two thrown in).

But there was more to George's game than that piece of game film.

After leading UNCA to a record-setting 23-10 season and the Big South Conference championship last season by averaging 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds, he had begun to impress NBA scouts. But he returned home in August from Pete Newell's big man camp in Las Vegas with an infection in his foot, and was diagnosed with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact through openings in the skin and can be life-threatening.

He and his family have requested privacy, and Biedenbach declined to talk about specifics of George's health.

"Obviously, anybody misses a great player on their team, particularly when it's a guy who dominates the game," Biedenbach said. "He led the nation in field-goal percentage last season, he worked hard to get himself a position to be a draft pick ... but there's a lot more to Kenny George than basketball.

"Sports was a big part of who he was ... but he'll move on and he will be a success in anything he does. He just needs to get well."