Dec. 7, 1999

Rick Majerus has had so few healthy players this fall that he often doesn't have enough bodies to practice 5-on-5. Still, the Utah basketball coach has persuaded one of his main players to take the rest of the season off to try to recover from a nagging injury.

Majerus confirmed Sunday night that Trent Whiting, whom he "penciled in as point guard this year," will take a medical redshirt year after he perhaps plays one more game.

Majerus said Whiting won't play Tuesday against Utah State, but he "may play Saturday against Washington State" and "then he'll be done for the year."

Following the win over Augusta State on Friday, Majerus said he was trying to persuade Whiting to take the medical redshirt year because he had been playing in terrible pain all season because of a congenital condition in his femur bones. He said he couldn't order Whiting to do that because "if his heart's not in it, then he won't be very good for the next two years."

However after Whiting started Friday night's game and played a season-high 21 minutes, he could "hardly walk" the next day, according to Majerus, and agreed the redshirt idea would be the best option.

According to NCAA regulations, players can take a medical redshirt season if they don't play in more than 25 percent of their team's games. Whiting has played in five games and could play in one more if he's able. Then he would still have two full seasons to play.

The problem for Utah is that, not only would they be without a player they were counting on, they would have one less player for practice, because medical redshirts aren't allowed to practice like regular redshirts (Duke transfer Chris Burgess, for example).

Two other former Utes under Majerus have taken medical redshirt seasons because of knee injuries, Mark Rydalch in 1989-90 and Josh Grant in 1991-92.

With Whiting out, the Utes will have to rely on Gary Colbert playing more at the point, along with Adam Sharp. For now, Tony Harvey, a more natural off-guard, will start at the point for Utah.

Also, freshman Nick Jacobson, who has been practicing as a redshirt, may end up playing this year. "I might pull him out of his redshirt year," said Majerus. "That's definitely possible."

The Utes take on Utah State Tuesday night and Majerus said he will likely use his fourth different starting lineup. He'll start Alex Jensen and Nate Althoff inside and probably go with a three-guard lineup including Harvey, Sharp and Jeremy Killion.