Auburn forward Chuma Okeke will miss the rest of the NCAA Tournament after suffering a torn ACL in Friday night’s win over North Carolina.
The sophomore went down with a non-contact injury in the second half and was quickly helped to the locker room.
He will undergo surgery on Tuesday in Florida with orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews.
Sources: Auburn’s Chuma Okeke has a torn ACL in left knee, surgery scheduled for upcoming week. Absolutely devastating for Auburn and an emerging player.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 30, 2019
Okeke was averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this season while serving as one of the main catalysts for the Tigers’ recent success.
Auburn was still able to advance past North Carolina by grabbing another double-digit victory, and Bruce Pearl’s squad will now prepare for an all-SEC Elite Eight showdown with Kentucky on Sunday.
Lovell’s Analysis
Losing Okeke is obviously a huge blow, as he was the most impressive player on the court prior to the injury.
Not only does he contribute offensively, but he’s one of the best defensive players in the country.
Luckily for the Tigers, depth is one of their biggest strengths, and that gives Pearl and his staff some options when it comes to trying to replace Okeke’s production.
While Auburn lost both regular season games to the Wildcats, it feels like a much different setup this time around due to how well the Tigers are playing.
But they’ll need to keep the same focus they’ve had during this tremendous run, and that won’t be an easy task without Okeke on the court.
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