Bol Bol, Oregon phenom and top NBA Draft prospect, out for the season with injury
Oregon center Bol Bol has missed the last four games with a left foot injury, but the potential 2019 lottery pick is likely to miss far more time.
The Oregon Ducks have won three of their last four games with center Bol Bol sidelined by a left foot issue. Some more missed time seems likely, but according to Matt Prehm of 247 Sports, the 7-foot-2 freshman is likely out for the season with a stress fracture in that foot.
Bol, the son of the late NBA player Manute Bol, is the Ducks’ leading scorer (21 points per game), rebounder (9.6 per game) and shot blocker (2.7 per game) so far this season. He’s also shooting 52 percent from 3-point range in his nine games thus far.
Bol is widely projected as a top-10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, so this injury could bring an early end to his college career. The nature of the injury stands to impact his draft stock though, as foot issues tend to not just magically go away for big men. Bol has reportedly been away from the team for most of the last two weeks, as he weighs options for rehabbing his injury.
The Ducks are set to begin Pac-12 play at home against Oregon State on Saturday that kicks off a three-game stretch vs. UCLA (Jan. 10) and USC (Jan. 13). The Ducks will have to adjust quickly to life without Bol, who will begin preparing for the NBA Draft as he rehabs from the left foot injury.
Oregon is thin in the frontcourt right now, as forward Kenny Wooten is out with a broken jaw and forward Abu Kigab has decided to transfer in search of more playing time. Coach Dana Altman is down to four healthy forwards, and now the idea Bol will be out awhile has been confirmed.
Oregon’s first three conference games are at home, which helps in the short-term. A bad Pac-12 will help them stay afloat beyond that, as even the team that looks like the best (Arizona State) looks vulnerable to an upset or two during conference play.
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The prospect of Bol missing the remainder of the season is obviously not good news for college basketball as a whole and in particular a Pac-12 conference that’s lacking buzz and star power. But if there’s any question about his health. no one will blame Bol for sitting out as he tries to protect his future. As for the Ducks, at least for now, their NCAA Tournament hopes are alive and well.