BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana will likely have to wait until next season to see what one of the key pieces it's most recent freshman class can provide on the hardwood.
Head coach Mike Woodson said on his weekly radio show, Inside Indiana Basketball, that Jakai Newton likely won't see the floor through the entirety of his freshman season.
Upon his arrival in Bloomington this summer, Newton underwent a successful procedure on his knee to treat a pre-existing injury. Since then, his efforts have been aimed toward returning to action and rehabbing, traveling with the team and consistently being listed as out on the Hoosiers' availability reports.
At this point, it seems likely that a return won't come until next season.
"Unfortunately he's not going to probably play this season because of the knee injury," Woodson said in his radio spot. "We've just got to get him ready this summer and get him ready for next season. I haven't made that decision for sure yet, but it looks like it's heading that direction."
Newton is a former four-star prospect, the No. 72 overall player in his recruiting class. A 6-foot-4, 190-pound combo guard out of Covington, Ga., Newton will likely be asked to be a key contributor going forward upon a return to play.
Woodson believes in Newton's ability. He's been committed since October of 2021, and the Hoosier head coach is a fan of his game. During the show, Woodson alluded to Newton as "a tough competitor" and "a little bulldog," noting that his physicality can help him be a valuable defender at the college level.
But it sounds as if the Hoosiers will have to wait to fully see what the Peach State guard can offer to them.
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