Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Fractured foot to sideline Maryland forward 4-6 weeks

Evan Smotrycz

AP Photo

AP

When it was first announced that Maryland senior forward Evan Smotrycz would sit out the program’s Maryland Madness event Friday evening as a result of an injury suffered in practice, the hope was that there would be good news when Smotrycz was re-evaluated the following day. Unfortunately for head coach Mark Turgeon, that wasn’t the case and the injury will sideline one of the members of his front court rotation for the next month or so.

Sunday afternoon it was reported that Smotrycz actually broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot, an injury that according to Daniel Martin of CSN Baltimore is expected to sideline the forward anywhere from four to six weeks. with Maryland’s lack of experience in the front court, with fellow senior Jon Graham and sophomore Damonte Dodd being the other returnees, losing Smotrycz hurts for a team that struggled with consistency in the paint last season.

“We are really disappointed for Evan, but knowing his high character and tireless work ethic, we have full confidence he will return and finish strong in his senior season,” Turgeon said in a statement according to CSN Baltimore. “We have confidence that our front court players will step up in Evan’s absence.”

Smotrycz averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season, and his injury likely speeds things up for freshman Michal Cekovsky. Cekovsky was already expected to compete for minutes, but with Maryland’s leading returning rebounder having to sit more will be asked of the 7-foot-1 newcomers. Unfortunately for Maryland, Georgia Tech transfer Robert Carter has to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules.

Follow @raphiellej