INDIANAPOLIS – Bo Hodges is a medical outlier, if not a medical miracle.
That he is playing college basketball at all, much less spectacularly, was never a given.
After the Butler senior endured a tibial plateau fracture, athletic trainer Ralph Reiff reached out to contacts he developed over 40 years in search of someone with a similar injury. He asked NFL players, active and retired.
“I didn’t find anybody,” Reiff said.
The injury could have sidelined Hodges for a year. Could have ended his career.
Instead, the 6-5 forward rejoined — and transformed — the Bulldogs less than six months later. He made his season debut Jan. 13 against Georgetown, which will be the opponent for Saturday’s game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Butler (10-10, 3-6) and Georgetown (6-11, 0-6) are eighth and 11th in the Big East, respectively. The Hoyas are 6-2 in games played at Butler.
Tibial plateau fracture is a break of the larger lower leg bone below the knee that breaks into the knee joint. The injury can involve bone, meniscus, ligaments, muscles, tendons and skin around the knee.
In a July 29 workout at Efroymson Gym, Hodges jumped in an attempt to block a shot by Pierce Thomas at the rim. They collided, and Hodges landed awkwardly, hyperextending his left leg.
“It was very painful,” Hodges recalled.
It could have been worse. X-rays showed the bone did not splinter. Surgery was not required.
Hodges said being on crutches “was very frustrating,” and the worst part. After that, he said, he tried to stay positive and did rehab to strengthen the area in and around his leg.
“It was a tough time. The process was long,” he conceded.
Hodges always believed he could return by mid-January. So did Reiff.
Coach LaVall Jordan said there was hope Hodges might be ready by then, although there was no timeline. Reiff said coaches waited patiently and never asked to rush the player back.
“What we didn’t want to do was jump in too early and not be there at end of the year with Bo Hodges,” Jordan said.
Hodges had episodes of bone pain. Reiff said the foot doesn’t land on the ground as it once did, nor is the hip in the same position. Reiff said soft issue was, and is, the biggest concern.
Rami Hashish, an injury expert and founder of the National Biomechanics Institute, said there is more to recovery from a such an injury than waiting for the bone to heal.
“Now, you’re not just recovering from a broken leg,” Hashish said. “You’re recovering from atrophy of your entire leg. You’re doing a lot more than running and jumping.”
Hodges continues to have progress monitored by force plates in the middle of practice to measure whether muscles are fatigued, or whether he should continue in a workout.
He became one of the first Butler athletes to submit to psychological testing for return-to-play. That was conducted by Adam Shunk, a former world-class high jumper and psychologist who also works with the Indiana Pacers.
Hodges said when he was first asked whether he was ready for a game, he replied no. Reiff said research suggests when an athlete is asked to rate confidence in return, a percentage of 80% or better is a strong indicator. Eventually, Hodges said he was 80% confident.
Reiff said the team around Hodges – physicians, psychologist, athletic trainer, strength coach, basketball coaches – facilitated recovery. Reiff said advanced technology and resources available in Indianapolis have changed the game for Butler athletes.
“At end of the day, it’s Bo,” Reiff said. “Bo has to be willing and courageous enough to trust the process. And he was. And he is.”
Hodges was put on a minutes restriction when the Bulldogs played at Georgetown, but that was lifted for the past two games. Even before appearing in a game, he was reinforcing in practice that he was Butler’s best defensive player.
He had 17 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes of a 69-62 loss at Providence, then 18 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes of a 72-55 win over Creighton.
In the latter, he drove through the lane for a two-handed slam. Yes, Bo was back.
“I just go out and play like it didn’t happen,” he said.
Hodges, of Nashville, Tenn., transferred to Butler from East Tennessee State, where he was an All-Southern Conference forward for a 30-4 team. He was so versatile he was considered a position-less player.
His eligibility was delayed last year until Jan. 30, and he was impaired thereafter by a calf injury. He was granted an additional season by the NCAA’s pandemic waiver.
“All those guys in the locker room know what Bo Hodges is capable of,” Jordan said. “We haven’t seen him completely healthy yet at Butler, unfortunately. But now we’re starting to see.”
So is the rest of the Big East.
Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.
