Auburn freshman Chuma Okeke is leaving the USA U19 tryouts in Colorado after suffering a left knee injury.
The 6-foot-8 forward was one of the 18 finalists for the USA team after Tuesday’s first round of cuts, with fellow teammate Austin Wiley also among the group.
“Chuma Okeke will be leaving the USA Basketball U19 World Cup Team training camp on Thursday and returning to Auburn for further evaluation after injuring his left knee on Tuesday,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said in a released statement.
“Cal called me and told me how well Chuma played and what an impression he had made. I am proud of Chuma for making the first cut of players. The injury is unfortunate, but everyone has Chuma’s health as the main concern. There is not a timetable at the moment.”
Michael Niziolek of Auburn Undercover spoke with Okeke’s brother, Chuka, who didn’t feel that the injury was a serious one.
Lovell’s Analysis:
Okeke is expected to be a key part of the Tigers’ rotation this season, so sending him home to heal – like Calipari also did with Kentucky freshman Kevin Knox – is the right move.
While Wiley has gotten a lot of attention at the training camp due to his increased size and physicality, Okeke has been impressive as well.
It doesn’t sound as though the injury is serious, so that should allow Okeke to regroup and hopefully get back on the floor for Auburn’s offseason workouts.
His athleticism and overall skill set will make him a tough guard, and if Pearl can continue to develop him, Okeke will be a solid contributor for this intriguing Auburn team.