Missouri State University has settled lawsuits with two former men’s basketball players who were injured in a cryotherapy mishap in 2018, according to documents obtained by the Springfield News-Leader. The university paid Abdul-Hakim Fofana $295,000 and Reggie Scurry $160,000 to resolve their lawsuits.
The settlements, reportedly, state that the payments do not constitute an admission of liability on the university’s part. The agreements were made to avoid the cost and uncertainty of further litigation. In exchange, Fofana and Scurry agreed to dismiss their claims and release the university from all damages related to the incident.
Fofana, who suffered career-ending injuries to his feet, signed his settlement in April 2025. Scurry, whose injuries were season-ending, signed his agreement in July 2024. Both players were hurt on campus in January 2018 while using a portable cryotherapy unit brought in by an outside company, Kombat Cross Training.
The incident occurred after a strength coach, identified as Brice Cox in the lawsuit, arranged for the treatment to be brought to the basketball team, which was struggling at the time. The players alleged they were injured after a platform was removed from the machine to accommodate Fofana’s height, exposing their feet to supercooled flooring.
According to court filings, both players suffered severe burns and frostbite to their feet, with Fofana reportedly told by his attorney that he was lucky his feet did not have to be amputated. Following the incident, Fofana never played college basketball again. Scurry transferred to Middle Tennessee State University after the 2017-18 season.
The lawsuits filed by the players named the university’s Board of Governors, former coach Paul Lusk, former assistant strength coach Brice Cox and former Athletics Director Kyle Moats as defendants. Lusk was let go after the 2017-18 season, but officials said the incident was not a factor in his departure. Moats resigned in the summer of 2024 to take a position at another university.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, then-MSU President Clif Smart said the university would pay the players’ medical bills and that the school had insurance to cover the costs. The university later investigated the incident but declined to release its findings, citing attorney-client privilege.
The settlements bring a close to the legal battle, but the incident remains a cautionary tale regarding athletic training practices and the potential risks of unproven treatments. Fofana told an Ozarks First reporter in 2024 that the injuries had been a life-long struggle and that he had suffered from depression. Scurry has also spoken publicly about the incident, calling the pain the worst of his life.
