Erika Arriaran, the former Norco High School basketball phenom who is now a junior at the University of Texas, returned from the ACL she tore Jan. 7, 2007 only to injure her knee again before this season began.
The former National Player of the Year at Norco had arthroscopic surgery on her knee in November, according to Barb Kowal, assistant athletics director for media relations at the University of Texas, and has not been cleared to practice yet.
“We’re hoping to get her back for the last six or seven weeks of the season,” Kowal said. “Or we’ll be looking to use a medical red-shirt year.”
Arriaran had surgery to repair the ACL in February and was cleared to resume her normal regimen as the 2007-08 season approached. Before the season even began, she injured the knee in practice.
Arriaran was selected to the 2005-06 Big 12 All-Freshman Team after she slid into the starting lineup as a freshman and averaged 11.5 points per game during a 13-15 campaign for Texas, the Longhorns’ second-worst season in the last 24 years.
Texas was 11-4 when Arriaran tore her ACL in the final seconds of an upset win over No. 10 Purdue on Jan. 7, 2007. But the Longhorns finished the 2006-07 season 18-14, not worthy of a bid to the NCAA tournament. Texas is ranked 25th this season with a 15-5 mark thus far.
