A bit of good news is in line for the Panthers as the nearly 7-foot center Jan Thompson will be set to return to action against Aurora University on Saturday. The recovery process for Thompson has been a lengthy one after he dislocated his left shoulder.

Thompson will practice for the first time on Wednesday, although it will be a non-contact practice for the recovering center. He will also shoot around with the team before the Panthers’ next game as they travel to Austin Peay on Thursday. He will then practice with the team again on Friday and should finally be able play Saturday for his first game since the injury.

“I’m sure the role for me will be limited when I come back,” Thompson said. “I’ve been out for six weeks, and my conditioning will be a little poor. I can ride a bike the entire time I’m out, but that still doesn’t mean I’m in playing condition.”

The absence of Thompson’s big body has hampered the Panthers’ defensive and rebounding efforts lately. This was most apparent in Eastern’s loss to the Racers of Murray State. The Panthers allowed 13 first-half offensive rebounds to the Racers and could not recover from the first-half deficit.

Perhaps what the team misses the most with Thompson out are the simple fundamentals of the game that a center understands as his role. Without the largest player on the team, the Panthers struggled to rebound the ball consistently and set screens on offense.

“I will be able to come back when I know I can actively be able to set screens, box out and rebound,” Thompson said.

Coach Samuels has been watching his big man progress since he injured the shoulder, but he understands it will still take some time.

“The timetable we set at the beginning of the week would let Jan return to action on Saturday,” Samuels said. “I’ve seen that he has better mobility with that shoulder now, but it is not as strong as it could be.”

Nevertheless, the Panthers would benefit from the return of their center just to receive consistent effort from a post player. Without Thompson, Eastern has been unable to consistently put forth a good effort with their interior defense and rebounding.

“Adding him back to our lineup does three things,” said Samuels. “First, he can set screens, second he can defend big in the post, and third he can box out. When he does these three things he makes our team better.”