By Joan Tupponce 
 
Joe Bamisile’s adrenaline-fueled play during the first half of the 2025 Atlantic 10 Championship game against George Mason University was at a high when he bounded into the air for a steal.  
 
Once the steal was secured, his finger collided with an opposing player’s knee.  
 
“I didn’t feel anything. I didn’t realize that my finger was cut,” said Joe, who played guard for Virginia Commonwealth University’s Men’s Basketball team and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from University College last year. 
 
A couple of minutes later, during a time out, he noticed blood on his No. 22 jersey. He first thought it was from contact with another player, but he discovered that wasn’t the case. 
 
“Our trainer said it was coming from me,” he said, noting the trainer wrapped the finger up so he could keep playing. 

The middle finger of Joe Bamisile’s left hand, seen wrapped in black medical tape, needed several stitches mid-game. (A-10/Greg Fiume)
 After getting two foul calls right before halftime, Joe left the game and went to the locker room where the trainer unwrapped the temporary bandage. 
 
“When I looked at it, my left middle finger was so torn open that I could see the bone,” he said. 
 
The trainer called Seth Cheatham, M.D., VCU Athletics chief medical officer and an orthopedic surgeon at VCU Health, to take care of Joe’s injury. During the 15-minute halftime, Cheatham gave Joe an anesthetic injection and put in three to four sutures. After wrapping and padding up the injury, Joe returned to the court with the team. 
 
He was able to play the rest of the game thanks to Cheatham’s quick action. Joe went on to score 17 points and sealed the win against The Patriots with two free throws in the last seconds. 
 

Nearly a year after Joe Bamisile’s game-time injury, Seth Cheatham, M.D., examines his middle finger which needed stitches. (Jonathan Mehring, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

“If the sports medicine doctor hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been able to close out the game and help win the A-10 Championship, defeating George Mason 68-63,” said Joe, who is now studying for his master’s in rehabilitation and mental health counseling in the VCU College of Health Professions.

Beyond the sidelines with VCU Health Sports Medicine

During A-10 games, Cheatham sits adjacent to the bench so he can take immediate action, if needed. He is present at all home games and travels with the team to tournaments, which included VCU Men’s Basketball’s Final Four appearance during the NCAA tournament in 2011. 
 
“We are there to manage in-game injuries,” Cheatham said. “We quickly assess the situation to see if the player can continue to play.” 
 
VCU Health Sports Medicine is a multi-disciplinary team that has several full-service clinics with highly skilled orthopaedic surgeons and sports medicine physicians who treat general medical concerns that can arise in athletes. 

There is a misconception that our clinic is only for athletes. In reality, we take care of everyone at any age... Our team is here to treat any sports injury. 
 
Seth Cheatham, M.D., medical director of VCU Health Sports Medicine

While VCU athletes are often in the headlines, this group of physicians serves others too. Their patients include other students and members of the community with injuries sustained from athletic activities.  
 
“We provide comprehensive care. There is a misconception that our clinic is only for athletes. In reality, we take care of everyone at any age, from the weekend warriors to just someone trying to get back into shape. Our team is here to treat any sports injury that can occur,” Cheatham said.  
 
Clinics are held at the VCU Health Sports Medicine Clinic, Short Pump Pavillion, Stony Point 900, Adult Outpatient Pavillion and VCU Health at William & Mary. 
 
“We want to provide convenient and immediate access to our patients regardless of where they live,” Cheatham said. 
 

Seth Cheatham, M.D., is the medical director for VCU Health Sports Medicine, a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and team physician for VCU Men’s Basketball. (Jonathan Mehring, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
 
While most of the group’s time is spent in clinic or in surgery, sideline coverage is also an important component of their work. 
 
“Covering games is the fun part. It’s a large reason why we all went into sports medicine,” Cheatham said. “Getting the opportunity to take care of elite college athletes is a privilege. There is nothing more satisfying than being able to keep an athlete healthy and able to compete at their best.” 
 
VCU Health Sports Medicine serves as the team physicians for VCU athletics as well as a number of other higher education schools such as William & Mary, Randolph Macon, Longwood, Richard Bland College, Virginia Union, Virginia State and more. The Richmond Flying Squirrels have two VCU Health doctors serving as their team physicians.  
 
Joe, who has played basketball for three other universities, believes that VCU is smart “to have the proper staff and support for players who can quickly work to help somebody and help them keep playing,” he said, noting that the cut to his finger last year was his first in-game serious injury. 
 
“VCU is super blessed,” he said. 

Former VCU Men’s Basketball player Joe Bamisile says “VCU is super blessed” to have its sports medicine team courtside. (Jonathan Mehring, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Whether it's on the field, at home or in the workplace, VCU Health Sports Medicine is here to get you back in the game. Meet our team and discover how we can help.

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