Auburn Basketball Star To Return in 2024 From Knee Injury

The Auburn Tigers thankfully didn't lose the program's winningest player in team history for the entire season

Auburn basketball may have lost to Kentucky yesterday, but it thankfully wasn't worse. 

Per a release from Auburn Athletics, star forward Jaylin Williams was evaluated this morning and suffered a non-season knee injury yesterday in the game. He is expected to return this season, although a timeframe was not given by Auburn. 

Williams left the game midway through the second half, unable to put weight on his right knee, and was helped off the court. He went up for a dunk with about ten minutes left in the second half, making contact with Kentucky defenders while in the air, and then coming down in a tangle with an opposing player, landing awkwardly on the knee. 

Pearl confirmed it was a concerning injury after the game, saying “Yeah, he’s hurt,” on Auburn’s post-game radio show. “He’s hurt. We don’t know what it’s going to be.”

But after an MRI this morning, the team confirmed the injury was "non-season ending", indicating that surgery was not needed and he should be able to return sometime between now and the end of the season. 

Williams is averaging 13.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game this season and is a crucial leader on the team. He was held to only three points on 1-of-5 shooting  prior to exiting yesterday's contest. 

Auburn's release noted that Williams is the single winningest player in Auburn basketball history, with 106 victories in 133 career games. And now Bruce Pearl and company will need to figure out how to do it without him until he returns.