With Jason Hartford is not healing as quickly as planned from offseason foot surgery, Cornell coach Steve Donahue told The Ithaca Journal that his power forward may be forced to sit out the entire 2006-07 season. Hartford suffered the original foot injury late last season and did not play the final weekend. Hartford also missed five non-league games earlier in the season with a broken wrist. He was effective when on the floor, averaging 7.7 points on 55.5 percent shooting (46.2 percent from three-point range) and 3.8 rebounds in 19.1 minutes per game. If he does miss he season, Hartford should be able to get an additional year of eligibliity from the NCAA and the Ivy League, assuming everything clears on the academic side.

Slant: This is a tough break for Cornell, as a game-fit Hartford is an All-Ivy caliber player. Even if he does come back midway through this season, it’s going to take a while for him to get back up to speed. The best-case scenario for the Big Red may be a month of productive play should he be able to go eventually. In that respect, sitting out the full season and getting the medical redshirt is a more appealing option. With Hartford sidelined, expect to see a four-guard lineup from Donahue, with Jason Battle playing the four.