Titans’ Harmon Out 3 Weeks With Foot Injury

Cal State Fullerton’s standout forward Ike Harmon will be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a stress fracture in his left foot, it was announced Thursday.

Fullerton also announced that David Castleton, a transfer guard from Orange Coast College, is academically ineligible for the first semester and will miss at least seven games.

Castleton will be allowed to practice with the team, but won’t be eligible to play until at least Dec. 16, the last day of the current semester, an athletic department spokesman said.

“[Castleton] didn’t meet the NCAA’s satisfactory progress rule,” said Christine McCarthy, Fullerton’s assistant athletic director for academic services. “He was short units to be certified for the fall semester but will have enough at the end of the semester.”

Harmon said Thursday he wasn’t sure when he was injured.

“I was surprised when they told me [after practice on Tuesday] to get it X-rayed,” Harmon said. “My foot was a little sore. I don’t see it as a serious injury, but they don’t want to take any chances. I want to get back playing as soon as I can.”

Harmon has suffered an assortment of foot problems the past couple years, but only occasionally has missed games.

A graduate of Santa Ana Valley High, Harmon passed 21 units this summer so he could graduate and be eligible to play for Fullerton this season under new NCAA legislation that allowed him to regain a lost year of eligibility.

“Obviously, this puts [Harmon] behind,” said Donny Daniels, first-year coach of the Titans, who open Nov. 8 at home against Simon Fraser but don’t play again until Nov. 17 at Oregon State. “Once he gets better, and that’s our main concern, he will definitely get back up to speed.”

Harmon has led the Titans in scoring and rebounding each of the past two seasons and is a three-year starter. He has career averages of 16.6 points and 6.9 rebounds.

Castleton had been a candidate to replace point guard Kenroy Jarrett, who completed his eligibility last season.

Castleton, who played at Mater Dei High, originally attended Brigham Young before transferring to Orange Coast. He led the Orange Empire Conference in scoring last season with an average of 22.6 points.