Boys basketball: Jordan Woodard is healthy for Class 6A tournament

“Jordan is so talented that the guys had become over-reliant on him at times, which is a blessing and a curse,” coach Shane Cowherd said. “I think we're a better team now — and I hate that Jordan had to go through that injury for us to accomplish it — but I think we're a better team, because guys were able to gain confidence in their own abilities.”

Forward Shaquille Morris, a 6-foot-8 Wichita State signee, was pushed to be the star in Woodard's absence, while others, like Aaron Young and Sam Kreutzer, had to handle the ball more and be reliable players on the perimeter.

Woodard started on the Bulldogs' championship team as a sophomore in 2011, as he did with the runner-up team last year.

Now, he's just happy that he'll be able to play as his final state tournament arrives.

“Not being able to be out there playing was hard, but I was confident that the training staff would be able to get me back out there before playoff time,” Woodard said. “Right now is the time that it counts, and I'm healthy, so it's great.”