PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Michigan State forward Malik Hall will be sidelined for about three weeks due to a stress reaction in his left foot, the school announced Thursday.
The 12th-ranked Spartans face No. 18 Alabama on Thursday night in the opening round of the Phil Knight Invitational. Along with Hall, the Spartans are not expected to have staring guard Jaden Akins against the Crimson Tide.
Hall felt discomfort in his foot following Michigan State’s win over Villanova last week and further examination revealed the injury. No surgery is needed, the school said.
“I feel bad for Malik as he was off to a strong start to his senior season,” Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. “If there’s a silver lining to be found, the medical staff is optimistic that the injury was discovered before it progressed into something more serious. While we absolutely won’t rush him back, the early diagnosis should hopefully result in a shorter absence.”
Hall was averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in four games this season and playing nearly 32 minutes per game. Akins has averaged 6.8 points in nearly 21 minutes per game.
___
AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
