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CLEVELAND – It was the sort of thing that happens every day after a Marquette men’s basketball practice.
Golden Eagles assistant DeAndre Haynes was on the court at the Al McGuire Center with a couple other members of the staff in late February. All-American guard Kam Jones was on the sideline, heckling his elders.
“Playing two-on-two and thinking I’m still young,” said Haynes, a former Mid-American Conference player of the year at Kent State. “And thinking I could dunk still. The good Lord told me to sit your butt down. I tried to go up for a dunk and snapped my patellar tendon and broke a piece of bone in my knee.
“40 years old and never been injured. Never missed a game. Never missed a practice.”
The last four weeks have been hazy mix of rehab, pain medication, sleepless nights and yelling at the TV when MU was playing on the road. Haynes made it back to the sideline for MU’s senior night, but didn’t get cleared to travel until this week.
So there was Haynes out on the practice floor at Rocket Arena on crutches, shouting encouragement while a device pulses his left knee.
“It was kind of crazy because my kids were crying when we couldn’t go to the Big East (tournament),” he said. “I cried, too. It was a lot of tears.
“First time ever missing a game. Missing practice. Missing work. So it hurt. It’s painful not being with your team and players. Watching on TV sucks.”
Even though there is still pain, Haynes wanted to be there for the MU seniors in their last NCAA tournament.
“It’s emotional,” Haynes said. “I get teary-eyed every time I think about those guys. Because it’s the second school I’ve been at where you finish with them all four years, get to see them walk across the stage. You get to see them chase their dreams.”
The first few weeks after the injury were rough.
“I got machines in my bed when I go to sleep to help it bend,” Haynes said. “It’s been a process. Now you know what these players go through.
“I tried to help (MU player) Sean Jones when he was going through it. Now he’s been helping me. It’s been good. There’s nothing you can really do about it but try to take the pain and fight through it. It’s been painful but it’s been good at the same time. To be able to be home with my wife and kids and see them a little bit.”
His wife, popular Instagram influencer Tierra, was crucial in those times.
“My wife goes on vacation every year for her birthday,” Haynes said. “And it happened the day before she was supposed to go on her vacation.
“So I owe her a big vacation after this. I’m going to treat her to something special. She’s been great. She’s been taking care of me. My mom came into town. My mom’s disabled, but she came in to take care of me. Her and my sister. The next week (Tierra’s) came into town to take care of me. Because I was in bed, I couldn’t move.”
“I’m up like at least four or five times at night because of the pain is so bad. But we try to tell our players to fight through it and respond. I’m a grown man trying to do the same thing.”
The work never stopped, though. Haynes is often in charge of MU’s scout team, teaching the MU walk-ons the opponents’ plays. He even did that for the Villanova game on Feb. 21 in the days after his surgery. He broke down the film and gave the writeup to fellow assistant C.J. Rivers to implement.
He has the scout for the game against New Mexico on Friday.
“It’s just another level of energy that we were missing,” MU walk-on Cam Brown said. “Its hard to replicate Dre’s energy.
“And what he brings to the team. Just his ability to speak up and talk. Just the way people reflect on what he says to them. It’s exciting to have him back on the road and his energy.”
Four weeks into his rehab, Haynes makes it clear that he will be on the court again, especially with his three sons.
Just maybe not taking off for dunks.
“I couldn’t dunk in the first place,” Haynes said. “I shouldn’t have been doing it. I would love to keep playing again. Because you know I love to play one-on-one, two-on-two.
“Of course Tyler Kolek reached out to me and was like ‘Man, you can’t play one-on-one no more!’” Jop (David Joplin) had beaten me, a couple guys had beaten me, so I told them it’s going to be a long time before I play. I just want to get stronger and then I’ll see what happens after that.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette assistant DeAndre Haynes returns to sideline on crutches
Continue reading...
Golden Eagles assistant DeAndre Haynes was on the court at the Al McGuire Center with a couple other members of the staff in late February. All-American guard Kam Jones was on the sideline, heckling his elders.
“Playing two-on-two and thinking I’m still young,” said Haynes, a former Mid-American Conference player of the year at Kent State. “And thinking I could dunk still. The good Lord told me to sit your butt down. I tried to go up for a dunk and snapped my patellar tendon and broke a piece of bone in my knee.
“40 years old and never been injured. Never missed a game. Never missed a practice.”
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The last four weeks have been hazy mix of rehab, pain medication, sleepless nights and yelling at the TV when MU was playing on the road. Haynes made it back to the sideline for MU’s senior night, but didn’t get cleared to travel until this week.
So there was Haynes out on the practice floor at Rocket Arena on crutches, shouting encouragement while a device pulses his left knee.
“It was kind of crazy because my kids were crying when we couldn’t go to the Big East (tournament),” he said. “I cried, too. It was a lot of tears.
“First time ever missing a game. Missing practice. Missing work. So it hurt. It’s painful not being with your team and players. Watching on TV sucks.”
Even though there is still pain, Haynes wanted to be there for the MU seniors in their last NCAA tournament.
“It’s emotional,” Haynes said. “I get teary-eyed every time I think about those guys. Because it’s the second school I’ve been at where you finish with them all four years, get to see them walk across the stage. You get to see them chase their dreams.”
DeAndre Haynes still on Marquette's scout for New Mexico
The first few weeks after the injury were rough.
“I got machines in my bed when I go to sleep to help it bend,” Haynes said. “It’s been a process. Now you know what these players go through.
“I tried to help (MU player) Sean Jones when he was going through it. Now he’s been helping me. It’s been good. There’s nothing you can really do about it but try to take the pain and fight through it. It’s been painful but it’s been good at the same time. To be able to be home with my wife and kids and see them a little bit.”
His wife, popular Instagram influencer Tierra, was crucial in those times.
“My wife goes on vacation every year for her birthday,” Haynes said. “And it happened the day before she was supposed to go on her vacation.
“So I owe her a big vacation after this. I’m going to treat her to something special. She’s been great. She’s been taking care of me. My mom came into town. My mom’s disabled, but she came in to take care of me. Her and my sister. The next week (Tierra’s) came into town to take care of me. Because I was in bed, I couldn’t move.”
“I’m up like at least four or five times at night because of the pain is so bad. But we try to tell our players to fight through it and respond. I’m a grown man trying to do the same thing.”
The work never stopped, though. Haynes is often in charge of MU’s scout team, teaching the MU walk-ons the opponents’ plays. He even did that for the Villanova game on Feb. 21 in the days after his surgery. He broke down the film and gave the writeup to fellow assistant C.J. Rivers to implement.
He has the scout for the game against New Mexico on Friday.
“It’s just another level of energy that we were missing,” MU walk-on Cam Brown said. “Its hard to replicate Dre’s energy.
“And what he brings to the team. Just his ability to speak up and talk. Just the way people reflect on what he says to them. It’s exciting to have him back on the road and his energy.”
Four weeks into his rehab, Haynes makes it clear that he will be on the court again, especially with his three sons.
You must be registered for see images attach
Just maybe not taking off for dunks.
“I couldn’t dunk in the first place,” Haynes said. “I shouldn’t have been doing it. I would love to keep playing again. Because you know I love to play one-on-one, two-on-two.
“Of course Tyler Kolek reached out to me and was like ‘Man, you can’t play one-on-one no more!’” Jop (David Joplin) had beaten me, a couple guys had beaten me, so I told them it’s going to be a long time before I play. I just want to get stronger and then I’ll see what happens after that.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette assistant DeAndre Haynes returns to sideline on crutches
Continue reading...
