Jeff Brooks paused, tilted his head toward the ceiling and rolled his eyes at the thought of being held out of another practice.
Then, the loud smack of his hand slapping the ball he was clutching summed up the feeling.
"It's eating at me a lot," Brooks said. "My pops was supposed to be coming up to see me this weekend, and I really was excited for that. For an injury like this to happen and not to be in practice yet is very frustrating. But I just gotta keep pushing through and stay positive. Guys out here are still here; they still got my back. I still got theirs."
Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said Brooks sustained a concussion after getting pegged by an Andrew Jones' elbow in practice last Thursday. Sunday's exhibition win had Brooks' in street clothes, vocally supporting his teammates from the bench.
Brooks said he took the post-concussion "imPACT" test Tuesday morning and received those test results later that day at practice. Brooks' practice status would be based off those results, and Sports Information Director Brian Siegrist wrote in a text message that Brooks would not practice Tuesday.
His test results were not disclosed as of press time Tuesday.
He will be a game-time decision in Friday's season opener against William & Mary, assistant coach Lewis Preston said.
"He has to be ready, just in case," Preston said. "We'll do the right things in preparing him, not only for Friday but the remainder of the season."
Brooks was sharp and articulate with his answers at practice Tuesday. He said he feels a lot better than when the injury first occurred.
With the injury, more dependency will be put on fellow big men Jones and D.J. Jackson. The two combined for 22 points Sunday against Bloomsburg, with Jackson netting 14 coming off the bench.
"I was worried we had to play those guys too many minutes," DeChellis said after Sunday's exhibition game. "We really tried to rotate them the last five or six minutes. But we've gotta get Jeff back."
Jackson, who started a few games down the stretch last season, anticipates coming off the bench again Friday, but knows a starting five hasn't been set and a lot can happen before Friday's home opener.
Preston was especially impressed with Jackson's instinct to get to the glass and assert his size and ball handling by getting to the basket.
Jackson said he needs to hit the offensive boards hard and keep the ball in front of him, staying more active on defense.
"I don't mind it at all," Jackson said about coming off the bench. "If the team is lacking energy, I come in and provide it. Or the team is doing well, I come in and sustain it."
Even with Jackson's and Jones' strong start to the season, sophomore guard Talor Battle knows the importance of having as many bodies as possible to file in and out Friday against an improving opponent.
"He's gonna be a big factor to our success," Battle said. "We'll like him to be back Friday, but if not, we're not gonna hang our heads or anything like that. We're just gonna go out and be ready to play basketball.
"You can't rely on sympathy. William & Mary's not gonna care. You wish to have Jeff back on Friday, but if we don't, we're just gonna prepare without and go out and play."
