Nebraska announced on Monday that senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s loss at Penn State.
Bandoumel attacked the basket in the first hall against the Nittany Lions and he went down as his left knee buckled. He had to be helped off the court and was ruled out for the game after less than seven minutes on the court.
Coach Fred Hoiberg said after the game the initial evaluation isn’t good, and subsequent testing confirmed that diagnosis.
“I am heartbroken for Emmanuel to have his college career end this way,” Hoiberg said in a release. “I’ve said all season that Emmanuel is one of the best defenders in the country, and he impacts the game in so many ways beyond the measurables. He is also one of the best culture guys I’ve had the pleasure to coach. He always comes into the gym with a positive attitude and will do anything for the team. While he can’t help us on the court, I know Emmanuel will continue to be a leader for us and help our younger guys.”
Th 6-foot-4 native of Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, averaged 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while starting in every game this season as a fifth-year senior. He served as the team’s primary perimeter defender and also filled in at point guard when Sam Griesel wasn’t on the floor. He never quite found his shooting touch in Lincoln (36% from the field, 22.4% from 3) but still played a key role in the team’s success. Bandoumel scored in double figures nine times this season with a high of 18, set twice.
Bandoumel spent his first Division I seasons at SMU, averaging over 10 points snd shooting better than 35% from 3 while starting all 50 games he played in during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons. Bandoumel finishes his career with 880 points, 351 rebounds and 160 assists. He began his collegiate career at Hill (Texas) College, averaging 13.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a freshman.
Bandoumel is the second starter the Huskers have lost for the season, following the shoulder injury to Juwan Gary suffered in the loss to Illinois on Jan. 10. Nebraska took a big step forward defensively this season (36th in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom), and now the Huskers will have to find a way to maintain that success without its two “Blackshirts” that have set the tone on that end all season.
Redshirt freshman Quaran McPherson suffered a season-ending injury during the offseason, while freshman guard Ramel Lloyd Jr. is redshirting. That leaves Nebraska with nine scholarship players, which includes Blaise Keita who is still dealing with a high-ankle sprain.
Nebraska (10-10, 3-6 Big Ten) will return to the court on Wednesday to host a Northwestern team that is returning from a COVID-19 pause. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday but moved back a day to allow the Wildcats to make up the game against Wisconsin they missed on Monday.
