Cougar Forward Hendrickson Fractures His Shooting Hand

Washington State forward Mark Hendrickson has fractured his left (shooting) hand, an injury that Coach Kevin Eastman described as potentially “devastating” for the Cougars, who open Pacific-10 Conference play Jan. 4 against defending national champion UCLA.

Hendrickson, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound senior, was injured while trying to grab a rebound during Washington State’s 90-74 victory Wednesday at San Jose State.

In X-rays taken Thursday, two fractures were detected on the edge of the hand between the wrist and pinky finger, Eastman said. Additional X-rays will be taken after the team returns to Pullman on Saturday.

The injury will break Hendrickson’s string of 43 consecutive starts. He is the team’s leading rebounder this season and one of its top scorers.

“At this point, it [the injury] is a very serious problem for our team, which, quite frankly, could turn into a devastating problem,” Eastman said. “Mark is probably the most difficult guy for us to replace.”