Second-ranked Auburn gets a bit of good late-week news: Maleek Arington (knee) back in uniform
MAPLE VALLEY - Even though it was just two games, having Auburn High School point guard Maleek Arington sidelined felt like an eternity.
The wait for his return ended Saturday night.
Arington, the 6-foot-3 floor general, made a decision late this week with his family that he is going to try and play through both a grade-2 PCL tear and small meniscus tear in his right knee - and then discuss surgery after the season ends in March.
Auburn coach Ryan Hansen said he was informed of the family's decision Friday - and one night later, Arington came off the bench in the No. 2 Trojans' 72-47 victory at Tahoma.
"He's a senior, and he's a competitive kid," Hansen said. "He and his family made the decision that this is something he wanted to do, and that he wanted to be out there."
Arington's very first sequence coming into the game was a hesitation turnover on a play he'd normally just go up and score on.
"I'm not going to lie ... that was super awkward," said Arington, who was wearing a knee brace.
But Arington said once he scored his first basket, he didn't think too much about the injury.
"I was like, 'I can do it,'" said Arington, who played approximately 10 minutes off the bench, registering four steals. "And I wasn't thinking about it after that. When I was cutting, it felt normal."
Arington initially injured his knee in the second half of the Trojans' loss to Garfield in the championship game of the Hardwood Invite on Dec. 21.
After that, Arington had been in wait-and-see mode, missing Auburn's next two games against Kentridge and Mount Rainier.
Earlier this week, Hansen said Arington remained out indefinitely - but that timeline changed after Friday.
As far as getting Arington back into the starting lineup, Hansen said a lot of that will be determined by how the guard feels.
"I am going to listen to Maleek," Hansen said. "I trust him."
Tre Blassingame led all scorers Saturday with 25 points. Kaden Hansen added 20 in the win.
