Two of NIU’s star women basketball players met with the team physician on Tuesday and discussed their rehabilitation and how soon the players will be ready to go all out.

Guards Lisa Foss and Toby Meeks received mixed news from Dr. Robert Jarrett about their knee injuries.

In the case of junior Lisa Foss, the 1988 Most Valuable Player, the news was not as good as was expected. Foss will not be ready to go full force come this Saturday, which is the first day of practice. Her rehabilitation will take a little longer and the hopes of being ready by the first game (Nov. 18) is the main concern.

Foss’ injury occurred in the last game of the 1987-‘88 season. The Huskies were playing Notre Dame when, with 6:48 left in the first half, Foss fell to the ground and writhed in pain. She left the game and spent the second half on the bench with crutches pending future X-rays.

As time went by, Foss decided surgery would be best. Over the summer she underwent successful anterior cruciate ligament reconsrtuction and has spent much of her time since then rehabilitating.

“Lisa has worked very hard,” coach Jane Albright said. “But she is not where she needs to be to play.”

Lisa is progressing well, and is ahead of schedule, but the seriousness of the injury will require more rehabilitation time than for lesser knee injuries. Foss spends at least three hours a day strengthening her knee. Foss also works on her game by shooting and doing some minor drills.

Meeks is also undergoing rehabilitation with Foss. However, Meeks’ injury was not as serious as Foss’ but is similar.

Meeks suffered her injury over the summer in the Prarie State games when an opponent collided with her. They both fell to the ground with Meeks underneath, causing the injury to the knee.

The news about Meeks is good. Coach Albright said she is about 70 to 80 percent ready and will participate in the team’s first practice. Meeks will be wearing a knee brace.

Foss and Meeks perform the same exercises every day, said team trainer Barb Pearson. A member of the NIU Sports Medicine Staff, Pearson has kept a watchful eye on the progress of both players. The similarity between the two injuries enables Pearson to work with Foss and Meeks together.

Recovery from surgery like Foss’ or Meeks’ requires discipline—the repetition of the exercises can become monotonous.

There are times when Meeks feels like she does not want to do the exercises, but the thought of everything paying off in the end makes the training all worth it for her.

Come game time on Nov. 18, the Huskies will look to the talents of Foss and Meeks. Foss led the team last year with 548 points and 19.6 points per game, which earned her a spot on the North Star Conference All-Star team.

Meeks led the Huskies last year with 104 assists. Her .850 free throw percentage was second to only Pam Seward (.875) and though Meeks averaged only 5.9 ppg, she scored in double figures in eight of the Huskies’ last 12 games.