Villanova freshman forward Cam Whitmore will undergo surgery next week on his right (shooting) thumb after injuring it in practice on Wednesday, the school announced. He will be sidelined while he recovers and re-evaluated in early November.
“We’re disappointed for Cam,” said Villanova head coach Kyle Neptune. “Throughout the preseason he’s worked hard to learn our concepts and what it takes to be effective in the Big East. This is temporary setback, though, and we know Cam will approach his rehab with a great attitude.”
Whitmore is a 2022 McDonald’s All-American and the Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year. He helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship last June.
He is projected as a Top 10 pick in next year’s NBA Draft and would be the first one-and-done at Villanova since Tim Thomas in 1997.
Currently, four Wildcats are sidelined by injury. In addition to Whitmore, Villanova is without Justin Moore (achilles tendon); Caleb Daniels (broken nose) and Trey Patterson (sports hernia). Freshman guard Brendan Hausen returned to practice this week after missing Hoops Mania on Oct. 1 (concussion).
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