Louisville center Gorgui Dieng will likely miss at least another two weeks with a wrist injury, Cardinals’ coach Rick Pitino announced Tuesday, as reported by Kent Taylor of NBC affiliate WAVE-TV in Kentucky.
Dieng has already missed five games after falling awkwardly and injuring the wrist Nov. 23 against Missouri in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. His absence was felt most strongly in Louisville’s loss to Duke, when Blue Devils’ center Mason Plumlee went for 16 points and 7 rebounds.
The 6-10 native of Senegal was averaging 8.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks at the time of his injury.
Reports over the weekend said that Dieng was looking to return early from the injury, with the cast being taken off his wrist. He was already slated not to dress for Friday’s match-up with Florida international, but Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky seemed like a possibility.
“He could play in the Western Kentucky game if he’s in shape,” said Pitino at the time. “That’s the biggest thing, not the hand, if he’s in shape to play.”
That is now not the case.
Pitino reportedly is aiming for Dieng to return Jan. 2 against Providence, which would be within the original 4-6 weeks that Dieng was expected to miss.
Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_