Indiana Guard Jakai Newton Unsure What Freshman Year Holds After Knee Surgery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana freshman guard Jakai Newton wore a hefty brace on his left knee and walked with crutches during Wednesday's Indiana basketball media day at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The school announced on Aug. 16 that Newton underwent a procedure to treat a pre-existing injury, and there is no timetable for his return.
On Wednesday, roughly one month after this announcement, Newton was asked if he believes he has a chance to play for Indiana during the 2023-24 season.
"It's still up in the air," Newton said Wednesday. "I don't really know yet."
As for his current, day-to-day rehab process, Newton remains limited.
"It's really slow," Newton said. "I haven't really been able to do anything. I'm just working on flexibility right now. That's pretty much it."
After suffering a meniscus injury in May of 2022, Newton was unable to play in AAU games throughout the summer and missed the first 21 games of his senior season.
Newton returned to action on Feb. 3. In his second game back from injury on Feb. 6, he blocked the nation's No. 1 recruit Isaiah Collier at the rim, revealing the kind of athleticism that made Newton a sought-after recruit.
During his junior season, he averaged 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, and helped Newton High School reach the 2022 AAAAAAA state semifinals. Newton was a consensus four-star recruit, ranked No. 72 in the nation by Rivals, No. 87 On3 and No. 127 by 247 Sports.
Newton held offers from various southern schools like Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and others, but his decision to play at Indiana started with coach Mike Woodson.
"Definitely Woody, but mainly the opportunities on the court and outside the court," Newton said of his college decision. "Woody's been to the league. He knows what it takes to get guys like me there. Then outside of it, there's a lot of business opportunities here, and that's the type of thing I like to do."
Despite returning for the late stages of his senior year of high school, Newton's availability during his freshman year at Indiana remains in question after undergoing knee surgery on Aug. 16.
When healthy, Newton could be a valuable piece to Indiana's backcourt depth because of his explosiveness and above-the-rim athleticism.
While he's unsure of his availability for this game, Newton is excited that Indiana scheduled a game near his hometown. The Hoosiers play Auburn on Dec. 9 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga.
"Yeah, I'm hoping I'll be ready for that game," Newton said. "But I'm definitely looking forward to that."
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