A player who tore his ACL on a recruiting visit to Oregon in 2015 is suing the university and members of its men's basketball coaching staff for alleged negligence.
Crisshawn Clark, who is now a junior guard at Portland, claims to have suffered the injury during a workout on an official visit to OU's campus in Eugene, Oregon during a time in which it was against NCAA rules for him to be doing that. He is seeking at least $100,000 for "pain and suffering," according to the Oregonian, as well as loss of future income due to the knee injury.
Oregon offered Clark a full-ride scholarship while he was a sophomore at Canada College in October 2015 before his visit, then suffered the injury during a workout the lawsuit claims was led by assistant coach Mike Mennenga. And while Oregon paid for the surgery for Clark's ACL repair, the lawsuit, citing NCAA bylaw 13.11.2.1, states that he should not have been working out to begin with.
"U of O violated the aforementioned NCAA Bylaw by putting Mr. Clark through an evaluative workout prior to the exhaustion of his two-year eligibility in basketball, as well as after U of O's opening day of classes for its term," the lawsuit reads. "All or part of Mr. Clark's medical and rehabilitation expenses related to the October 17, 2015, left knee injury were paid by or on behalf of the U of O; however, Mr. Clark suffered significant other damages in connection with the October 17, 2015, left knee injury for which he is entitled to and should receive compensation."
Ducks coach Dana Altman, assistant coaches Kevin McKenna, Tony Stubblefield and Mennenga are all named in the suit, as well as director of basketball operations Josh Jamieson.
Clark later signed with Pittsburgh following his injury after missing his entire sophomore season at Canada College, but did not play for the Panthers after missing the entire 2016-17 season due to a torn MCL and meniscus injury. He transferred this offseason to Portland but will miss the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules.
