When Duane James was wheeled out of the Events Center Monday, most fans probably expected, at the very least, that the Bearcats junior forward would miss the rest of the season.

James sustained a neck injury in Binghamton’s victory over UMBC from a knee to the head he received while trying to draw a charge. He remained nearly motionless on the court for over 10 minutes, with people fearing the worst, but his prognosis was positive later that night.

While James did suffer a concussion, his recovery is progressing very well. He will be held out of Sunday’s regular-season finale against Vermont, but is expected to be back on the court in time for the America East tournament.

“He does have significant headaches, but he is back in class,” said head coach Al Walker. “He’s doing everything but the exercise, which he has to take some time off from.”

Thinking back on what had happened, James seemed a bit shaken, and reflective.

“I wasn’t even really thinking of anything other than me being able to get up and walk,” James said. “I was scared, then I woke up and I saw a lot of people standing over me and I didn’t know what was going on. I couldn’t feel my hands and that really scared me. But I was really just concerned about being able to get up and walk.”

Despite the initial scare, James is confident he will be back on the court soon.

“I just got a little bit of a stiff neck,” James said, while watching his teammates practice Thursday. “I’ve had a headache for the past two days, but I’m pretty good right now. I’m just sitting here trying to stay mentally in the game.”

James’ presence and size in the middle will be crucial for the Bearcats in the America East tournament, and he still has a week to prepare for their first playoff game on March 4.

“You get knocked down seven times, you stand up eight,” said James, referring to the Japanese proverb. “I should be back at full strength.”