Iowa's Devon Archie could use red-shirt if shoulder doesn't heal

Iowa junior forward Devon Archie could red-shirt this season if his shoulder injury doesn't heal, Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter said this morning.

"That's not a decision we have to make right now," Lickliter said at Big Ten Basketball Media Day in Chicago. "As long as he doesn't play, it is a decision that we can make. We'll just have to evaluate as we go."

Archie, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Vincennes junior college, suffered a dislocated right clavicle on the team's second day of practice. Lickliter said it was a non-contact drill where Archie lost his footing and fell on his shoulder. Archie will miss up to seven weeks of the season.

Lickliter said trainers are watching Archie to make sure his clavicle stays in place without inserting a pin into the area.

"He is a player that his best years are ahead of him. he keeps improving every year and an extra year of college would not be detrimental to him," Lickliter said. "But we're going to have to see how quickly he progresses, and obviously we'd have to talk with about it. It's not something that we've made a decision on at this point."

Archie started 19 games and averaged 6.8 points, six rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots for Vincennes last year. He was brought in to compete at the power forward and center positions. He was the team's most athletic big man and best jumper with perhaps the longest wingspan. But Archie is a raw as a player, which could hurt him as he tries to learn Lickliter's offense.

"Obviously it sets him back," Lickliter said. "He's going to be out 4-6, maybe seven weeks. He's an eager learner, very bright, he pays attention, and I know he'll catch up. I also know it's frustrating and very disappointing for him, and we miss him. But it's something that you deal with, and we've dealt with a lot of injuries the last couple of years ."