We should have a little story posted on our web site soon, and it will appear in the morning newspaper, as well ... but just so you can say you heard it here first, it looks like backup point guard Curtis Eatmon is going to miss the rest of the season.

Eatmon said he has to have surgery to repair the injury that has kept him on the sideline since the preseason, and won't likely recover in time to return this year.

Eatmon originally was believed to be suffering from a groin injury, but visits to several doctors revealed that the pain Eatmon feels when his body absorbs a lot of basketball pounding is actually the result of a problem in his left hip.

Surgery is scheduled Dec. 18 in Colorado, Eatmon said.

The diagnosis probably won't change much for the Utes, since they have been playing all season without the 6-foot-3 sophomore -- who probably was not going to see a lot of playing time, anyway, behind junior Tyler Kepkay and senior Johnnie Bryant. He didn't exactly impress coach Jim Boylen on the team's summertime exhibition tour of Australia, either, so it will be interesting to see what becomes of his future with the program.

All of that having been said, though, Eatmon has always seemed like a great kid, and it's too bad he has to endure such an drastic solution to his injury problems. Here's hoping he gets well soon.