Memphis' Luke Almodovar OK after scary fall on head, losing grip on dunk in loss to No. 22 Vanderbilt

Memphis guard Luke Almodovar was fortunate to be unharmed following a frightening fall during Tuesday night's game against No. 22 Vanderbilt. The sophomore went up for a dunk in the second half, but lost his grip on the rim, crashing down to the court and landing awkwardly directly on his head. For an extended period, Almodovar remained down on the Memorial Gym floor, causing the arena to go silent.

Eventually, he was helped up and taken to the locker room. Almodovar expressed relief that he avoided any major injury, stating that he was a bit woozy after the incident. Indiana native Almodovar, who transferred to Memphis after spending last season at Southeast Missouri State, finished with a team-high 21 points and 7-of-14 shooting in the loss.

Memphis coach Penny Hardaway emphasized the importance of holding onto the rim and not letting it go, highlighting the dangers of such a fall. Despite the unfortunate turn of events, Almodovar's athleticism and toughness were evident as he returned to the bench for the end of the contest. Vanderbilt's Ace Glass led the Commodores with 23 points, as they dominated in the second half with a 23-7 run.

Vanderbilt now stands at 3-0, having won back-to-back games against the Tigers. Memphis, on the other hand, sits at 2-1 for the season following a four-point victory over Iowa State. The Tigers will face off against No. 10 Louisville next on Sunday.