What was already a lost season for Oklahoma and star guard Willie Warren has just gotten worse. According to a report from Oklahoma's radio color analyst Mike Houck, Warren will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his injured ankle, and will the rest of the season.
Oklahoma’s Wille Warren Out For Season With Ankle Injury, Undergoing Surgery
This is an especially bitter way for Warren to end his season after the sophomore guard came back last year despite being projected as a potential lottery pick in the draft. The 6-4 Warren hoped to catapult his draft stock with a strong second season, a la his teammate Blake Griffin last year, but from the beginning both he and Oklahoma have struggled this season, falling far behind expectations.
Warren has averaged 16.3 points and 4.1 assists per game, but his shooting numbers are down across the board, as well as his assist to turnover ratio. But Warren’s struggles have paled in comparison to those of his team, which has floundered to a 13-16 (4-11) record. The Sooners have lost their last seven games.
Warren has been out since February 25th with a sprained ankle, that was originally expected to sideline him until the Big 12 tournament on March 10th. But with Oklahoma three games under .500, they’d have to win their final regular season game as well as two Big 12 tournament games to even have a chance of qualifying for the NIT. Given that their season is all but over, it makes sense that they wouldn’t want to take any chances with Warren’s health, and rush him back this season.
It remains to be seen whether Warren will bolt for the NBA this summer or return for his junior season. His struggles this year have seen his draft stock slide from the lottery down to the late first-round.
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