By ADAM ZAGORIA
Incoming Villanova freshman Bryan Antoine is expected to be sidelined 4-6 months after undergoing right shoulder surgery on Friday.
Villanova Team Surgeon Dr. William Emper performed the surgery. The school said Antoine will begin rehabbing the injury while attending summer classes at Villanova, which began May 29.
The 6-foot-5 Antoine, a McDonald’s All-American who helped lead the Ranney (N.J.) School to its first New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in March, may have played all season with a torn labrum, sources said. He complained throughout the season of a shoulder injury but played through it.
Antoine is the projected No. 17 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, per ESPN.com.
“This is a tough start for Bryan,” said Villanova head coach Jay Wright. “But he’s a very mature young man and he’ll work very hard to get himself back as soon as possible.”
Antoine finished as the Shore Conference’s all-time leading scorer. He is listed at No. 15 in the ESPN.com ranking of the class of 2019 prospects and at No. 16 in the 247 Sports Top 100.
Big East coaches are already worried about how to defend the high-flying Antoine, who has high expectations for next year’s team.
“I think we’ll be very tough,” he said earlier this year. “I think we’re going to have some players stay next year, a couple of the juniors who have experience in March Madness. The freshmen coming in will have to lean on them for experience .”
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