Fred Hoiberg announced on Thursday that sophomore forward Akol Arop will miss the 2020-21 season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last week.
According to trainer RJ Pietig, Arop underwent the surgery to clean up a chronic issue in his left knee.
“It is disappointing because Akol has worked hard in the gym improving his game in the offseason,” Hoiberg said in a release. “Knowing his work ethic, he will dedicate himself to getting back to 100 percent and have a complete recovery.”
The 6-foot-5, 203-pound Omaha Creighton Prep graduate appeared in 21 games as a freshman last season. He scored 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, grabbed 28 rebounds and totaled six steals and six blocks in 114 minutes. Arop logged double-digit minutes four times including the final three games of the season when he played 20, 21 and 23 minutes. He totaled five points and six rebounds — both career-highs — in a loss at Michigan and blocked two shots while grabbing four rebounds in the Big Ten Tournament loss to Indiana.
Arop’s absence is a hit to the team’s depth, but the Huskers have plenty of options at forward with Teddy Allen, Lat Mayen, Shamiel Stevenson and Thorir Thorbjarnarson capable of playing the three and four spots. With Arop out for the season and Trevor Lakes redshirting, Nebraska will have 11 scholarship players and three walk-ons available this season.
Jacob Padilla has been writing for Hail Varsity since 2015. He covers football, volleyball men’s basketball and prep sports. He also co-hosts the Nebraska Preps Postgame and Nebraska Shootaround podcasts for the Hurrdat Media and Hail Varsity podcast networks. His love of basketball can best be described as an obsession and if you need to find him, he’s probably in a gym somewhere watching, coaching or playing hoops.
