Hawaii's Vander Joaquim Out 4-6 Weeks with Torn MCL

Hawaii's Vander Joaquim will miss the next 4 - 6 weeks with a torn MCL, after a teammate rolled into his leg during a preseason workout, according to a report in the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Joaquim, who we had as one of the top impact players in the Big West for the coming season, earned first team All-WAC honors last year, and was a contender for the player of the year in the new conference. His awards came after averaging 14.3 points and 9.5 rebounds last season.

For Hawaii, the good news is that the injury came now, with enough time for Joaquim to recover from the tear. Plus it is his MCL, which still hurts, but pales in comparison to the time he would be out if it had been his ACL.

According to Jeff Borzello at CBS Sports, the Warriors will likely turn to Christian Standhardinger and Hauns Brereton to patrol the inside to begin the season.

Even if the injury takes six weeks to return from, Joaquim would make it back by the beginning of the season, but will probably be limited for another two weeks as he comes up to full strength. That means missing the Rainbow Classic, an important game against Illinois and potentially the game against North Dakota, all in Hawaii. A true Joaquim presence might not be in effect until Hawaii faces UNLV on December 1.