By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Chadd Moore

University of Cincinnati point guard Chadd Moore may be facing back surgery that could end his season.

Brian Teter, UC's associate athletic director, said a decision will be made whether to pursue surgery next week after Moore is examined by a specialist.

Moore, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, initially seemed sure after practice Wednesday that he'll likely choose to have surgery to repair a herniated disk and a loose bone fragment.

He said the surgery probably would be done next week, and that he would be out for two to three months.

"Me and coach (Bob) Huggins talked about it last night," Moore said. "We had a big conversation about it and decided it would be the best thing."

Moore said he could be back by the beginning of February.

But later Wednesday, after UC trainer David Fluker said surgery is only an option at this point, Moore said no final decision has been made.

"It's a toss-up," Moore said. "I still haven't talked to my mom about it yet."

It's clear, though, that Moore is in severe pain. He practiced Tuesday, but did not even dress Wednesday and appeared stooped over when he tried to walk. He said he has trouble sleeping.

"We've had great progress doing physical therapy," Moore said. "It was going good. We've just had a minor setback. I played through it last year. What's another year?"

Huggins said he couldn't talk about Moore's situation because of privacy regulations, and Fluker would not elaborate.

Moore, who played in 21 games last season and averaged 2.6 points and 1.6 assists, was expected to compete with transfer Nick Williams for the starting point guard position. If he's lost for the season, the Bearcats would have only Williams and junior Jamaal Lucas as point guards.

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com