10 LSU Players Get Medical Clearance to Play

Ten players on the LSU basketball team, benched last week because of chicken pox, received medical clearance Monday to resume play starting with the Kentucky game Wednesday.

The Tigers (17-3), ranked 14th nationally last week, were forced to postpone a Southeastern Conference game with Auburn Saturday after two players--John Williams and Bernard Woodside--became infected with the disease and doctors quarantined the other 10 players for observation.

Blood tests taken from the other players showed positive for immunity from chicken pox, said Dr. James Osterberger, who gave the team medical clearance to play the rest of its schedule. Williams and Woodside are improving at Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center.

Doctors and trainers were concerned that six of the 10 remaining players had not had chicken pox and might be vulnerable to infection from their teammates.