Charlotte, Davidson basketball teams cautious in dealing with concussion issues

Concussions continue to impact Mecklenburg County’s two Division I men’s basketball programs.

A week after teammate Jake Belford decided to end his career because of an accumulation of five concussions in three years, Davidson senior guard Brian Sullivan’s status for Wednesday’s Atlantic 10 game against Duquesne is day to day with concussionlike symptoms, coach Bob McKillop said.

Charlotte 49ers’ senior forward Bernard Sullivan, who has been plagued with concussions throughout his college career, will miss at least two more games – including Thursday at Southern Mississippi and Saturday at Louisiana Tech – because of concussionlike symptoms, coach Mark Price said.

Each player is in his school’s concussion protocol.

Davidson’s Sullivan was hit in the head during practice last week and missed the Wildcats’ game Saturday against St. Bonaventure. It was the first game Sullivan, whoaverages 14.8 points, had missed in his career at Davidson.

“It’s a process we have here,” said McKillop. “(Sullivan) must pass certain tests. We’re certainly being very careful with him.”

The topic of head injuries in sports and how to deal with them has become prominent in recent years. Although concussions are more associated with sports such as football, wrestling, ice hockey and soccer, 13 percent of men’s basketball players in a 2010 NCAA survey said they had been diagnosed with or believed they had experienced a concussion. A lower number (5.5 percent) said they had experienced multiple concussions.

That is why Belford, a junior forward, announced last week he would end his basketball career after he suffered his fifth concussion earlier in the season.

Belford had started and played six games this season, averaging 6.8 points and 6.2 rebounds. He was hit in the head at the end of the first half of the Wildcats’ game at North Carolina on Dec. 6 and hadn’t played since.

Belford, who missed most of the 2014-15 season with a knee injury, had concussions in each of his first three seasons with the Wildcats, according to McKillop.

“Deciding to end his career was tough for Jake,” McKillop said. “But it was something he felt was the right thing to do and we certainly support him.”

Charlotte’s Bernard Sullivan has also suffered multiple concussions. He missed the first 19 games of the 2014-15 season after a concussion in the preseason, his fourth since high school. A transfer from Clemson who played at Davidson Day North Mecklenburg High, Sullivan played in Charlotte’s final 13 games.

Sullivan, who was hit in the head during the 49ers’ game Dec. 19 against Appalachian State, has missed Charlotte’s past three games. Price said Sullivan stayed in the game against the Mountaineers, but called trainer Adam Jordan that night to say his familiar headaches had returned. Sullivan also suffered a concussion at least one other time when he was at Clemson.

“Of course I’m concerned about Bernard’s safety and his future,” said Price. “It’s ultimately about his health, and you want to make sure he’s OK. The basketball part is secondary in the big scheme of things.”

Price said Sullivan has told him he’s feeling better.

“We’ll have to see,” said Price. “It’s going to be what the doctors say. But we’d love to get Bernard back.”

This story was originally published January 5, 2016 at 7:17 PM with the headline "Charlotte, Davidson basketball teams cautious in dealing with concussion issues."