MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee senior guard Adam Vogelsberg will take a redshirt season in 2006-07 and return to the squad for the 2007-08 season, Head Coach Kermit Davis has announced.
Vogelsberg has been out of action since suffering a broken bone in his right foot in preseason practice the week of the season opener. He made his first appearance of the season against Western Kentucky Thursday night, playing three minutes late in the second half before returning to the bench.
Following the game Davis said Vogelsberg would go back into a cast for three weeks and confirmed that he would use his redshirt season this year.
"(Vogelsberg) came to me at halftime and asked me to give him a couple of minutes. He just asked me to at least give him a chance," Davis said. "This guy has been through so much and is a high-character guy so I wanted to give him a chance. I knew he couldn't do it and he knew he couldn't do it. I thought maybe he would spark us and it did a little bit. He was on one leg fighting it. My goal with Adam is to be positive and it's not the end of the world. He's going to graduate in May and try to be on the first-team (All-Sun Belt) next season."
Vogelsberg agreed with Davis' assessment following the game.
"I am not ready to play at this level, not with my foot the way it is," Vogelsberg said. "I am just not very good right now. I am trying to get better. It felt good to be out there, but I couldn't play at that level. I have noticed a lot of improvement over the last week but it is going slow. I will take this redshirt season and work hard to come back stronger next year. It's disappointing but you have to look at the positives."
Dec. 28 was the target date for Vogelsberg's return but the healing process has been slow seven weeks into rehabilitation.
Vogelsberg's loss has impacted a Middle Tennessee team in the midst of a four-game losing streak and standing at 4-8 overall, 0-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. The Home, Kansas native was a preseason All-SBC selection after earning all-league honors as a junior in his first season as a Blue Raider.
Vogelsberg was Middle Tennessee's leading scorer in 2005-06 with 12.4 points per game. He also proved to be one of the best guard in the league as he was fifth among league leaders for both 3-point field goals made and percentage. He finished the 2005-06 season in the Top 10 of four Middle Tennessee single-season lists, including No. 1 for free-throw percentage, No. 3 on the 3-point field goals made list, No. 5 for 3-point field goals attempted, and No. 8 for 3-point field goal percentage. His 41.7 percentage from 3-point range is No. 3 all-time, and his 91 percent clip from the free-throw line is first all-time.
Middle Tennessee returns to action Sunday when it plays at Florida International in Miami. Tiooff is 11 a.m., CST.
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