Seton Hall forward Patrik Auda did not bend the screw in his surgically repaired foot but will be reevaluated by doctors in a month, as first reported by SNY.tv Monday night.
The 6-foot-9 redshirt junior was evaluated by doctors Monday and is not expected to play for at least a month as the program looks to protect his health going forward.
“He could be back in two weeks, but I’m going to take a longer approach, make sure we don’t risk anything for his future,” Pirates coach Kevin Willard told Jerry Carino of Gannett New Jersey on Tuesday. “My goal is to take a look at him before Christmas. We sat down and (Providence on Dec. 31) is what we want to shoot for (for a potential return). He could play sooner, but the problem is (if you rush back) you keep aggravating it and eventually you’re doing to do something (worse). A lot of guys keep playing with this (with the help of cortisone shots), but to me that’s not worth it.”
Auda on Friday re-injured the right foot he broke last season during a loss to Oklahoma at Barclays Center.
“It’s good news because it looks like the worst case scenario didn’t happen, which is that he bent the screw,” head coach Kevin Willard said on Saturday after a win over Virginia Tech. “I’m praying just that he can come back and have a great career.”
Auda is averaging 12 points and 5.6 rebounds for the 4-2 Pirates.
