Nate Johnson only had two options, and both were a bit scary.
He could wait and let the stress fracture in his left shin heal naturally, a process he'd already tried last summer to no avail, or the senior grad transfer, who quickly became a standout last season on Xavier University's men's basketball team, could have surgery.
He chose surgery.
A scar sits a few inches above Johnson's left knee where they inserted a permanent rod down into his shin. Not far away, two more scars mark the inside of Johnson's calf where screws were temporarily inserted to hold the rod in place.