Auburn’s Dollard suffering from back injury

By Collin Mickle

Published: July 16, 2008

Talking to reporters during the Southeastern Conference’s offseason basketball teleconference Wednesday, Auburn coach Jeff Lebo launched into a rundown of his top returning players.

There were plenty of familiar names. Lebo mentioned Center Vot Barber, point guard Quantez Robertson, swingman Rasheem Barrett, all seniors and returning starters.

But one big name was missing: That of forward Josh Dollard, one of AU’s most talented and versatile players.

Dollard missed all of last season with what the school called “medical issues,” but took a redshirt season and is expected to return this season. But that return isn’t assured.

When asked about Dollard on Wednesday, Lebo indicated he wasn’t sure when the 6-foot-7 junior would be able to join his teammates in informal workouts. Lebo said Dollard injured his back earlier this summer and has been slow to recover.

His status is day-to-day.

“Every day, each day goes by, he gets a little bit closer,” Lebo said. “But (there is) nothing new on his status right now.”

In addition to last year’s season-long absence, Dollard has been suspended twice in his career for violation of team rules: For six games as a freshman and five games as a sophomore.

When he is on the court, Dollard is one of Auburn’s most productive players: He averaged 12.5 points and seven rebounds for Auburn as a sophomore in 2006-07, ranking second on the team in both categories.

Lebo also said a few members of Auburn’s incoming recruiting class haven’t yet enrolled in school. The Tigers signed five players to National Letters of Intent: Guard Frankie Sullivan, small forward Kenny Gabriel, junior-college guard Tay Waller and juco forwards Johnnie Lett and Francis Aihe.

Sullivan and Aihe are already enrolled in classes at AU, but the others have been delayed.

“We’re still working on some of them,” Lebo said. “We’ve got about half of them in school, in summer school. We don’t anticipate having any problems, but we’re still working on getting some of them in school.”

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