Creighton will be without senior big man Zach Hanson for a few months as head coach Greg McDermott announced he’ll be out indefinitely after left ankle surgery.
The 6-foot-9 Hanson was previously out this summer after having knee surgery and now he’s dealing with a torn tendon and torn ligaments in his left ankle -- which will also require surgery.
During his junior season, Hanson was a solid rotation player for the Bluejays as he averaged 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds per contest. This season, Hanson appeared in all five Creighton games and averaged 8.0 points and 3.2 rebounds per in just over 13 minutes per contest.
The Bluejays have certainly been fine with Hanson playing limited minutes during their 5-0 start but they could use him as the season grinds on. Beyond freshman center Justin Patton and junior big man Toby Hegner, Creighton doesn’t have a lot of experienced depth on the inside and Hanson’s loss could hurt them in Big East play.
Creighton is still going to be a guard-driven team that should be fine without a role player but the frontcourt depth of the Bluejays is going to be something worth monitoring.
BREAKING: Creighton coach Greg McDermott announces Zach Hanson tore a tendon and some ligaments in left ankle, could miss several months. pic.twitter.com/3AiSqVbCZk
— Creighton Men’s Basketball (@BluejayMBB) November 23, 2016