Bol Bol’s hype-filled first year in college officially came to an end on Thursday. The former five-star big man has not played in a game since Dec. 12 due to a left foot injury, and reports indicated earlier in the day that it would cost him his freshman campaign. Soon after, Bol tweeted that the report was indeed true, with Shams Charania of The Athletic adding that he is now expected to focus on his professional career.
Bol’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, added some details about what needed to happen. The surgery will keep Bol on crutches and in a boot for a few months, and he’s expected to take the floor again in the summer. In fact, the procedure Bol received was designed to speed up how quickly he can get back onto the floor.
From top NBA draft prospect Bol Bol's lawyer, Bryan J. Freedman: Bol underwent surgery Thursday to repair non-displaced fracture of navicular bone in left foot. Bol begins rehab next week, will use crutches/boot for 8-10 weeks and return to basketball activities in summer.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 3, 2019
Bol's lawyer, Bryan J. Freedman: "At surgery, two screws were inserted into the navicular bone and bone graft from his pelvis was added to speed up the healing, which will expedite his return to play." https://t.co/Uzid1p5PjE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 4, 2019
A big man getting foot surgery is always going to give NBA teams pause, and Bol is definitely someone who needs some work as an NBA prospect, both in terms of refining his game and in terms of bulking up his 7’2, 235 pound frame. Still, he has a unique skill set and a high ceiling in the NBA, so it’ll be interesting to see the extent to which needing surgery on his foot impacts his draft stock.
