Top-5 NBA prospect Bol out for season at Oregon
Yauhen Massalski tries to finish inside, but Bol Bol denies him before hustling to save the ball from going out of bounds. (0:33)
Oregon star freshman Bol Bol‘s college career is over, he announced Thursday.
Bol has been sidelined for the last four games with a left foot injury and is unlikely to fully recover before the end of the season.
Playing for my dream school under my favorite Coach Altman has been the Best part of my life and sadly it has come to end sooner than I would Like but thank you for all those who rocking with me & all Oregon fans 💚💛thank you #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/qYnjKO0p6x
Bol’s attorney, Bryan J. Freedman, told the Athletic that Bol underwent surgery Thursday to repair a non-displaced fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot. Bol will begin rehab next week, Freedman said, and will use crutches or a boot for 8-10 weeks before returning to basketball activities in the summer.
The 7-foot-2 center is ranked No. 5 in ESPN’s NBA draft rankings, slotting in as the No. 1 center in the class.
A former top-five recruit, Bol had been a dominant force during his nine healthy games in Eugene. He was averaging 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. He logged four double-doubles — including a 32-point, 11-rebound performance in a loss to Texas Southern in late November.
Bol was also shooting 52.0 percent from 3-point range, an attribute that intrigues NBA executives because of his size.
Oregon (9-4) is off to a slower-than-expected start this season and will now move forward without the possibility of Bol returning. Freshman Francis Okoro has seen a boost in playing time since Bol’s injury, while the return to health of freshman Louis King has added another dimension to Oregon’s frontcourt.
The Ducks open Pac-12 play on Saturday at home against Oregon State.