Frank Buchman limps to class, walking on the outside of his foot because he can't put pressure on the arch or ball. Just two weeks ago his foot was swollen blue with blood.

But he wants to wrestle so badly that he asked trainer Dan Monthley if he could start drilling this week. Monthley told him to practice walking correctly, first.

"I want to wrestle in the EWLs and the national tournament because I know I can help the team," Buchman said. "I think we have an excellent shot at a national championship, and I'd like to be a part of it. It's hard, being on the outside."

Coach Rich Lorenzo hoped to have 190-pounder Buchman, 167-pounder Dave Hart and 177-pounder Matt White back in the lineup against Iowa State this Saturday. Because he considers EWLs and NCAAs more important than a dual meet, none will compete this weekend.

"It would be nice to go against the Iowa State guy, but that's not going to do me any good at nationals," White said. "A dual meet just doesn't mean that much."

"They're holding me back," Buchman said. "They don't want me to risk further injury. I've been known to have a thick head when it comes to injuries."

Buchman didn't realize the seriousness of his injury at first. He orginally thought he dislocated his foot, but Monthley explained that he tore the capsule -- ligament and tendons -- on the bottom of his foot.

The foot is so tender that Buchman can only ride the stationary bikes, do isometrics and receive electric stimulus treatments. He keeps asking for other things to do, but there is nothing.

"We don't want them to dwell on what they can't control," Lorenzo said. "We don't want them thinking, when they come back, 'I haven't wrestled for three weeks, I haven't drilled for three weeks.'

"The season is five months long, and lots of wrestlers are tired by nationals. They just want to get it over with; they want to be champions, but at the same time they want it to end. These guys should be hungry."

Lorenzo inspires his injured wrestlers with the tale of Scott Lynch, who won a national title for the Lions in 1984. Lynch won All-America honors at 126 as a sophomore and a junior, and then injured his knee in February of his senior year.

Lynch's first meet after the injury was the EWL tournament. Unable to cut enough weight to wrestle at his normal class, he competed at 134. He told Lorenzo he was going to win. Lorenzo didn't believe him. Lynch proved Lorenzo wrong by winning a national title.

"He told me something before that tournament that has helped me as a coach," Lorenzo said. "He looked at me and said, 'I just want to grab ahold of somebody.' Everyone else was tired, but he wanted it more. And he got it."

White has had practice coming back from an injury, but he said that doesn't make it any easier. His knee was reconstructed after his freshman year, he redshirted last year, and he is now ranked ninth in the country.

Against Oklahoma State, White tore the posterior cruciate ligament in his non-reconstructed knee. Lorenzo said he is progressing the quickest of the three injured starters, but is still not 100 percent.

"I felt like I paid my dues," White said. "I didn't think I'd be injured again in my college career."

White started drilling Monday, but could work only from his feet. He said he may need to change his style when he returns; instead of taking shots low and fighting from his knees, he'll need to stay on his feet.

"I'm confident I can adjust," he said.

John Bove, originally expected to return this weekend after injuring his ankle against Edinboro, now does not expect to return this season.

Bove injured a membrane in his ankle and had a screw inserted in his ankle six weeks ago to relieve stress. Originally doctors predicted he could return to action in six weeks, but now they say if he were to wrestle the ankle would need tape and an air cast. He would also have a greater chance of breaking his ankle.

"Dr. Cox, who operated on me, told me if I were his son he wouldn't allow me to wrestle," Bove said.

Lorenzo said that if the team needed Bove, he would wrestle. Because Jeff Prescott returned and was able to cut to 118 pounds immediately, Bove is not needed in the lineup.

Bove has applied for a medical redshirt. Medical redshirts must not have competed past Jan. 21 and must have missed a percentage of the team's competition dates. Although Bove has not wrestled since Dec. 10, he has competed in one meet over the percentage allowed.

"In my experience, I'm not optimistic that he'll get it," Lorenzo said. "But I hope there will be some understanding -- he can't even practice on it."