Minnesota’s men’s basketball team received bad news Monday when a hand specialist confirmed that senior guard Vincent Grier has a broken shooting hand.

The All-Big Ten guard broke the fourth metacarpal in his left ring finger during Friday’s game against North Dakota State.

“I guess it was like three or four minutes to go in the game,” Grier said. “It was like a play that the guard had penetrated, and I went, like to gamble, and my finger got caught in his jersey.”

The team would not confirm when it first found out the hand was broken but did say that doctors offered differing opinions over the weekend.

No matter when the Gophers found out, the fact remains that the team will be without its star guard and the 17.9 points per game he averaged last season.

Minnesota opens its Big Ten schedule Jan. 7 against Northwestern.

Coach Dan Monson said Grier will have a cast on his hand until Dec. 2, but the estimated recovery time is four to six weeks.

Don’t expect Minnesota to rush Grier’s recovery either.

“Vince thinks that as soon as they take the cast off he’s going to just run out there and play,” Monson said. “It doesn’t work that way.

“His health, and that left hand being healthy for his future and his career, is a whole lot more important than one game here or there when he gets back.”