BY JACK ANKONY SPORTS ILLUSTRATED INDIANA HOOSIERS NEWS, ANALYSIS AND MORE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana coach Mike Woodson shared an update on the health status of freshman guard Jakai Newton Monday night on the “Inside Indiana Basketball” radio show with play-by-play announcer Don Fischer. The program announced on Aug. 16 that Newton was out indefinitely after undergoing a procedure to treat a pre-existing injury. He has not played this year. “Unfortunately he’s not going to probably play this season because of the knee injury,” Woodson said Monday. “So we 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 in that direction.”
Newton joined the Hoosiers as a 6-foot-3 guard out of Newton High School in Covington, Ga. He was ranked No. 118 in the nation by the 247 Sports Composite and No. 15 among combo guards.
Newton missed some of his senior season due to a knee injury, but as a junior, he averaged 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, assisting Newton to the state semifinals. Newton’s defence and ability to play numerous spots piqued Woodson’s interest. “He’s a tough competitor, a little bulldog,” Woodson remarked of his opponent. “He simply plays hard. He enjoys competing… He can play the one and two, which is what he did in high school. That was what drew us to him, his ability to play both ways and score and generate offence. But defensively, I believe he will excel because he is simply tough.”
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