Gak’s season-ending knee injury added blow to Canes
CORAL GABLES — It’s been a rough start to the season for the Hurricanes men’s basketball team, which has lost four straight and is still without one of its top players, Dewan Hernandez, whose eligibility continues to be reviewed by both Miami and the NCAA.
Things got worse for the Hurricanes on Wednesday with the announcement that freshman forward Deng Gak, who was hurt in Miami’s 77-73 loss to Yale on Dec. 1, will have surgery on his left knee next Tuesday and will miss the remainder of the season. He is expected to be out at least six months.
Gak had been averaging 14.6 minutes for the already-thin Hurricanes and was averaging 2.5 points and 4.1 rebounds.
He made his first start against the Bulldogs and played 19 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds and two blocks. Without him, the Hurricanes — who have been primarily relying on a seven-man rotation — have lost another big man.
Hernandez, whose name was linked to one of the defendants in the college basketball corruption trial that played out in New York, has been sidelined since Miami’s opener. As of Wednesday, a UM spokesman said there has been no change in his status.
With Hernandez and now Gak out, the Hurricanes will continue looking to Ebuka Izundu and Sam Waardenburg to provide help inside and Miami may have to reconsider redshirting junior center Rodney Miller.
The Hurricanes, who are off for final exams, will next play Dec. 19 when they host Houston Baptist at the Watsco Center. They’ll then close out nonconference play with games against FAU (Dec. 22) and Campbell (Dec. 29) before moving into ACC play against North Carolina State on Jan. 3.