Eggins leaving UALR program
Posted on Friday, April 4, 2008
UALR junior guard De’Andre Eggins won’t return for his senior season.
Eggins, 6-5, from Alexandria, La., has started 41 games over the past three seasons, averaging 8. 7 points and 3. 6 rebounds.
UALR Coach Steve Shields confirmed Eggins’ departure in a statement.
“De’Andre and I came to a mutual decision that it would be in his and our team’s best interest for him to pursue other opportunities. We appreciate the contributions De’Andre made to our program the past three seasons and wish him the best in the future.”
Eggins’ departure leaves UALR with two scholarships to give for the spring signing period, which begins April 16. UALR already has signed Paris (Texas ) guard Courtney Jackson. UALR’s only seniors on this season’s roster were guard Terrance Akins and forward Rashad Moss.
Eggins has not used a redshirt season and could transfer to a NCAA Division I school and sit out one season before playing his senior year in 2009-2010. Or he could transfer to the NCAA Division II level and play next season.
Eggins only missed two games because of injury in his career, but knee problems gave him trouble all three seasons.
As a freshman, Eggins was diagnosed with a torn meniscus at the start of the season. The injury occurred while he was in high school but had never been properly diagnosed. It flared up after the season opener against Appalachian State and caused him to miss the opening game of the Jack Stephens Center against Navy. He took a steroid dose designed as an anti-inflammatory and was able to play his freshman season, averaging 7. 4 points and 3. 1 rebounds.
Eggins had surgery between his freshman and sophomore seasons and appeared to be healthy as UALR began the 2006-2007 season. Eggins missed five conference games that weren’t related to injuries. He missed one in December when he traveled to Alexandria, La., to attend a funeral, and two more in late December when he wasn’t allowed to travel after violating a team rule.
He also missed two games late in the season after his brother was killed trying to rescue an elderly woman from a house fire. In between those missed games, Eggins returned and scored 13 points to help UALR beat New Orleans. He returned from his brother’s funeral and scored 20 points in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament against New Orleans.
He didn’t have the speed burst to get by defenders off the dribble, but found his niche in the second half of the season. He averaged 11. 4 points and scored at least 10 points in the final 10 games in which he played.
He had knee troubles twice last season as well. He missed the season opener against the University of the Ozarks with what he said felt like the same injury from his freshman season. A magnetic resonance Imaging showed no damage and he returned to action in UALR’s second game at Loyola Marymount on Nov. 12.
Eggins didn’t miss any more games, but did have to sit out practice time during the week of the Sun Belt Tournament with knee pain. Eggins averaged 8. 7 points as a junior but saw his playing time dip from 27. 5 minutes to 20. 9 minutes per game.
Eggins came to UALR from Alexandria (La. ) Peabody Magnet, where his team won the 2004 Louisiana state championship and was ranked No. 5 nationally by USA Today.
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