Knight out; Pendergraft likely to lose redshirt

Gonzaga University guard Erroll Knight injured the thumb on his shooting hand at practice and will not play in tonight’s season-opening basketball game against Portland State.

Bulldogs coach Mark Few said Knight, a 6-foot-7 junior starter, will be sidelined at least a week after sustaining ligament damage to his thumb during the latter stages of practice on Wednesday. That means he will also miss Sunday’s 2 p.m. home game against Montana and the Zags’ Nov. 24 home matchup against Idaho.

According to Few, Knight was examined Thursday afternoon by an orthopedic specialist, who ruled out surgery but said it would be a week before the swelling goes down and another evaluation can be made.

Because of the injury to Knight, Few said he will probably take freshman David Pendergraft, a 6-6, 220-pounder from Brewster, off redshirt status and make him available for tonight’s PSU game, which tips off at 7 in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

“I really feel bad for Erroll,” Few said, of Knight, who was slowed most of last season by a variety of knee and ankle problems. “He and (Sean) Mallon had as good of off-seasons as anybody on the team. He’s worked hard, he’s in great shape, but he hasn’t been able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.”

Knight, who sat out the 2002-03 season after transferring from the University of Washington, played in 28 games for GU last season and averaged 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. His place in the starting lineup will probably be taken by 6-4 junior Nathan Doudney, who redshirted last season after transferring from Texas Tech.