2008 Woodie Awards
A Fallen Star
Raanan Lefkovitz
Issue date: 2/15/05 Section: Sports
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There is no way to know for certain how well the '04-'05 Yeshiva Macs would have fared had Alex Lapidus not torn his ACL, and thereby ended his ever so brief basketball career. Truth is, even without Lapidus, the Macs are scorching, having won 11 of their last 14 games. Yet, one of the most talented athletes currently enrolled at Yeshiva, the 6"3 versatile forward is sitting out his senior season after tearing his left ACL for the second time in as many years.
"I miss playing a lot and there is not much I can do about the injury at this point. I try not to think about it too much," Lapidus said, as he sat in the bleachers and watched the Macs play host to in-conference rival Farmingdale
Lapidus' on-the-court career at Yeshiva has been short-lived and consequently his talent has been relegated to minimal exposure. He emerged as a potential star during his freshman season, averaging 7.4 points and three rebounds in 20 minutes per game off the bench. Lapidus was then billed by some as the future of Macs basketball, the hope after the illustrious Eli Hami YC '03 graduated. But Lapidus then tore his ACL, the first time, while playing a pickup game at a hotel in Miami during the offseason. The injury forced him to miss his entire sophomore season; the Macs subsequently finished an abysmal 7-16 that season. Revitalized, and having surmounted the impediments brought about by the injury, Lapidus returned to start in his junior season. He was the second leading scorer on the team averaging 11.7 points and led the team in rebounding, grabbing 5.1 rebounds a game. He shot 60% from the field and 40% from behind the three point arc.
However, Lapidus' season ended after 14 games. He re-tore the same ACL, this time while taking a layup during a Saturday night basketball run at the Max Stern Gym. He was shoved as he elevated toward the basket, and hasn't gone up for another shot since. "I knew immediately I had torn my ACL again," Lapidus recalled.
Prior to the second injury he had patiently rehabilitated his knee for over a year; now he was once again a patient. Soon after, he decided that a second comeback was just not worth the risk of a further, more serious injury.
"I miss playing a lot and there is not much I can do about the injury at this point. I try not to think about it too much," Lapidus said, as he sat in the bleachers and watched the Macs play host to in-conference rival Farmingdale
Lapidus' on-the-court career at Yeshiva has been short-lived and consequently his talent has been relegated to minimal exposure. He emerged as a potential star during his freshman season, averaging 7.4 points and three rebounds in 20 minutes per game off the bench. Lapidus was then billed by some as the future of Macs basketball, the hope after the illustrious Eli Hami YC '03 graduated. But Lapidus then tore his ACL, the first time, while playing a pickup game at a hotel in Miami during the offseason. The injury forced him to miss his entire sophomore season; the Macs subsequently finished an abysmal 7-16 that season. Revitalized, and having surmounted the impediments brought about by the injury, Lapidus returned to start in his junior season. He was the second leading scorer on the team averaging 11.7 points and led the team in rebounding, grabbing 5.1 rebounds a game. He shot 60% from the field and 40% from behind the three point arc.
However, Lapidus' season ended after 14 games. He re-tore the same ACL, this time while taking a layup during a Saturday night basketball run at the Max Stern Gym. He was shoved as he elevated toward the basket, and hasn't gone up for another shot since. "I knew immediately I had torn my ACL again," Lapidus recalled.
Prior to the second injury he had patiently rehabilitated his knee for over a year; now he was once again a patient. Soon after, he decided that a second comeback was just not worth the risk of a further, more serious injury.