Steve Pikiell lamented he's had too many meetings with the Rutgers training staff recently.
He's heard a lot of bad news from the staff, too.
The reeling Scarlet Knights will be without two key players for the apparent long haul now. Forward Eugene Omoruyi has joined guard Mike Williams on the sideline indefinitely after suffering a knee injury in Rutgers' 91-60 blowout loss at Illinois on Tuesday.
Rutgers will be without Omoruyi and Williams, who has missed the last six games with a serious ankle injury, when No. 3 Purdue and its 20-game winning streak comes to the Rutgers Athletics Center on Saturday for a 4 p.m. tip.
Here's the latest on each player:
F Eugene Omoruyi (knee): Pikiell wasn't ready to say whether Omoruyi can or can't play again this season, but it doesn't sound good for the sophomore.
"We won't see him for a while, but we're going to continue to evaluate," Pikiell said Thursday before practice. "He has a bad injury. It's just more adversity. You can't control the injuries."
Omoruyi's size will be sorely missed against a big Purdue team many believe could win the national championship in April. Omoruyi has averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game this season off the bench.
"Obviously you feel awful for him. He was playing well and was a big part of what we're doing," Pikiell said. "But someone else will have to step up now. More opportunities for other guys, and they've got to be ready."
Two players that Pikiell said could see increased time in Omoruyi's absence are walk-ons Luke Nathan and Aaren Smith. Nathan is a freshman from Randolph; Smith, a former Eddie Jordan recruit, is a sophomore from outside Baltimore. They have a total of 26 minutes, 10 rebounds and four points between them this season.
G Mike Williams (ankle): Pikiell said little has changed with Williams, who has been out since mid-January.
"He's still fighting the fight too," Pikiell said. "He's out for a while like I told you. He still hasn't changed, but he's progressing."
Pikiell said he "would pray and hope" Williams, a senior, could be ready to go by Senior Night on Feb. 25 against Illinois, "but so much depends."
"He's not doing anything, really. Walking around a little bit," Pikiell said. "We're way too far (out) right now."
Rutgers (12-12, 2-9) enters Saturday's game against the Boilermakers (20-2, 9-0) having lost four straight and five of six since Williams went down in practice on Jan. 13. The guard has only one start this season, but he's an emotional leader and Rutgers' second-best free throw shooter. Williams remains fourth in points and fifth in minutes played despite the missed time.
G Candido Sa (eye): It isn't all bad news for Rutgers. Sa should be able to play after receiving a scratch to his eye against the Illini. Sa has seen an uptick in time since Williams went down.
"I'm pretty sure he's going to be fine," Pikiell said. "We're hopeful he'll be good to go."
James Kratch may be reached at jkratch@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JamesKratch. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.