SYRACUSE, N.Y. — West Virginia starting point guard Darryl Bryant will miss the rest of the NCAA Tournament after breaking his right foot, school officials confirmed Tuesday night.
The loss is a blow to the second-seeded Mountaineers who face No. 11 Washington in Thursday's East Regional semifinals at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.
Bryant, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, broke the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. He started 31 of 35 games this season while averaging 9.3 points, 3.1 assists and 2.2 rebounds.
Joe Mazzulla, a 6-2 junior, will likely replace Bryant in the starting lineup.
"It hurts our depth a little bit," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins told ESPN.com. "But Joe is ready. He's been playing really well for us. He shot the ball really well in practice and in the games. He'll be fine."
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Mazzulla started six of 35 games. He's averaged 2.2 points, 2.3 assists and 1.8 rebounds this season.
The Huskies counter with sophomore Isaiah Thomas, a first-team All-Pac-10 selection, junior Venoy Overton, one of the top defenders in the conference, and freshman Abdul Gaddy.
Even before Bryant's loss, Washington seemed as if it held an advantage against West Virginia's backcourt.
"I was trying to figure out who the point guard was because all of their guys can bring the ball up," Overton said. "The kind of team they've got, they really don't need a point guard because everybody can set up their offense."
