Broken leg is latest setback for UD player
Heralded UD freshman Antetokounmpo was training in Europe.
Redshirt freshman Kostas Antetokounmpo was training for his native Greece’s team for the FIBA U-20 European Championship.
Dayton basketball redshirt freshman Kostas Antetokounmpo will be dealing with another setback before finally getting his Flyers career underway.
A university spokesperson said Antetokounmpo has been told he suffered a non-displaced tibia (lower leg bone) fracture while playing in Europe.
The severity of the injury is not yet known, but the spokesman said Antetokounmpo has spoken to first-year Flyers head coach Anthony Grant and team trainer Mike Mulcahey, “and he seems in good spirits.”
Antetokounmpo was training for his native Greece’s team in anticipation of the FIBA U-20 European Championship in Crete.
He is set to fly to Athens to be re-examined before returning to the United States for another examination.
The 6-foot-10 Antetokounmpo was a four-star recruit and the No. 113 player in the 2016 class when he signed out of Dominican High near Milwaukee, but he had to sit out last season after being ruled a partial qualifier by the NCAA.
Last week, Grant said the potential in Antetokounmpo is evident after a handful of practice sessions with him.
“Physically, you want to see him continue to develop, but you can’t teach (6-10) and the way he moves and jumps,” said Grant,
who was hired in March to replace Archie Miller. “He’s
a really good teammate. He really wants to be a good player. He wants the team to do well. Those are all good places to start.”
The coach added this is an important offseason for the youngster given his relative
lack of experience. “This is a huge summer for him,” Grant said. “When you think about it, the last time he played organized basketball was two years ago. You want to see him put it all together. He’s got a lot of potential.”
His brother, Giannis, is an all-star for the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Kostas Antetokounmpo’s availability could be pivotal this season for the Flyers, who lost four stalwart seniors to graduation.
Ryan Mikesell, a junior from St. Henry, will not play in the 2017-18 season after having double hip surgery, and another of the team’s forwards, Josh Cunningham, is coming off a season in which he had to overcome a serious ankle injury.