Rustin’s Barrouk is out of hospital; surgery is scheduled
The way his coach explains it, Griffin Barrouk is a standout who doesn’t want to stand out.
A senior at West Chester Rustin who is headed to Division I Hofstra to basketball next fall, Barrouk suffered a serious ankle injury in the first quarter of the District 1 5A Championship Game on Tuesday at Chester.
The Golden Knights eventually fell to the Clippers, 62-46, and Barrouk was rushed to Crozer-Chester Medical Center. It was determined that he had suffered a dislocated right ankle that included a broken fibula and ligament damage.
“Griff is one of those kids you root for because he doesn’t see himself as different from any of his teammates,” said his head coach Keith Cochran. “To see that from you leader, who is going to be a Division I athlete, that is rare these days.
“To Griff, he is just like the 13th guy at the end of the bench. He is not going to take a day off from practice, he’s not going to be late for film – he’s not like that.”
According to Cochran, Barrouk returned to his Glen Mills home on Wednesday and surgery is scheduled for March 25 at Paoli Hospital. Doctors say that he can expect to resume regular activities in 14 weeks following the procedure.
“He is in good spirits,” Cochran said.
“I checked on my players (Wednesday) and they’re also good. Those kids had tears in their eyes when I came back into the huddle.”
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Barrouk averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists for his senior season, which ended on the court in Chester.
“People sometimes give Chester a bad name because of things they’ve heard, but they are so genuine,” Cochran explained. “I’ve taken calls and texts from their coaches, and they’ve taken up a collection for Griffin. They’ve been awesome.”
