Cal's Andre Kelly Expected to Miss the Rest of the Season

Cal has lost nine straight games in a disappointing 2021-22 season, and the Bears got more bad news on Friday, when the school announced that forward Andre Kelly is expected to miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury suffered in the January 29 loss to USC.

“It was a heartbreaking meeting when I informed Andre of the MRI results of his injured ankle,” Cal head coach Mark Fox said in a statement issued by the school. “After meeting with multiple doctors, Andre is expected to make a full recovery. Sadly, that will most likely not occur before the end of our season. I am so disappointed for him as he was having such an outstanding season. His presence on the court is obviously missed. But not being able to play your final games is so hard for a young man who loves to compete. We will give him time to heal and decompress before having any conversations about his future plans.”

Kelly is a senior who has played four seasons of college basketball, but because the 2020-21 season did not count against a player's college eligibility as a result of a COVID waiver, Kelly could return to play for Cal in 2022-23 if he chooses to do so.

The 6-foot-9 Kelly ranks second on the team and 12th in the Pac-12 in scoring at 13.4 points per game, and he is second in the Pac-12 in rebounds, averaging 8.4 boards per game through 21 games played this season.

He leads the Pac-12 and ranks 12th nationally in field-goal percentage (60.7%) and is fourth all-time at Cal with a career field-goal percentage of 57.6%. His seven double-doubles this season rank second in the conference. Kelly had played in every game of his college career prior to the injury, a streak of 113 consecutive games dating back to the start of his freshman season in 2018-19.

Kelly is an excellent scorer in the paint, and without Kelly, the Bears will be without a reliable inside presence both offensively and defensively. In their second game without Kelly, Cal lost to Washington 84-63 in Berkeley on Thursday. The Bears host Washington State on Saturday afternoon.

The Bears have eight games plus the Pac-12 tournament remaining on their schedule, although that could change with COVID protocol rescheduling.

Cover photo of Andre Kelly by Darren Yamashita, USA TODAY Sports

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