Knee-deep into fifth year

Nine minutes. Nine minutes is all it took for Monmouth senior guard Whitney Coleman’s 2008-09 season to be over.

After a career junior year in which he was 19th in the Northeast Conference in scoring and second on his squad with 11.9 points per contest, Coleman tore his MCL just minutes into the Hawks’ season-opener at Florida Atlantic — and as he fell to the floor, so did his senior season.

Nine points. In those nine minutes, Coleman was already displaying the aggressive scoring that seemed to suggest that this season would be his best yet. In his brief time on the floor, he put up nine points including a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.

And although the Salem, Conn., native may not have nine lives, the NCAA has granted him a fifth. Because of his injury, the 6-foot-3 Coleman was granted an additional year of eligibility and another chance at a senior season.

So far, so good for Coleman, who has made it far past nine on-court minutes this year.

His 12.3 points per game on .462 percent shooting is second on the Hawks, and he has quickly dispelled any concerns about his stamina following the injury: He is averaging 28.0 minutes per game in Monmouth’s nine games — third most on his team.

If anything, he seems to be getting stronger as the season goes on. After scoring only six points in each of his first two games, the guard has rediscovered his scoring touch. Coleman scored 26 points — one shy of his career high — in the Hawks’ 81-73 loss to Sacred Heart Dec. 5.

And on a Hawks team with a core of younger players that coach Dave Calloway calls “very inconsistent,” Coleman will be crucial to the Hawks’ success.

Without Coleman last season, the Hawks limped to an 8-23 record. Even with his reinsertion into the lineup this season, Monmouth is 2-7 thus far in 2009-10.

Come Saturday when Penn travels to take on Monmouth, Coleman will likely be matched up against someone that is also no stranger to season-ending knee injuries.

Following a promising freshman season, Penn senior captain Darren Smith stepped on the court this season for the first time in two years after suffering a fractured patella in the Quakers’ first game of his sophomore season.

Although Coleman has a slight edge over Smith in scoring so far this season, Saturday night’s contest will test which one can put his best foot — or knee­ — forward.

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