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Illinois State’s hopes of earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament took a hit this week as second-leading scorer and rebounder MiKyle McIntosh underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
McIntosh injured his knee during a Jan. 21 game against Drake, and played part of the following game on Jan. 25 against Indiana State. The preseason all-conference pick hasn’t played since. The 6’7 junior underwent surgery after an MRI on Monday revealed the tear.
Depth of @Redbird_MBB was question mark earlier this season. It turned into a strength with solid 8-man rotation. Now comes the real test.
— Jim Benson (@Pg_Benson) February 2, 2017
Head coach Dan Muller announced the surgery prior to Wednesday’s win over Northern Iowa. After the 57-51 victory, Muller told Jim Benson of pantagraph.com that the Redbird training staff expects the Canadian native to return in three to four weeks.
With that timetable, McIntosh could potentially rejoin the lineup prior to the Missouri Valley Tournament.
Sophomore Phil Fayne was already starting for Illinois State, but has stepped into a much larger offensive role for the first place Redbirds (19-4, 11-0). In Illinois State’s last three games, Fayne has averaged over 17 points per game and has recorded two double-doubles.
Illinois State (19-4, 11-0) travels to Wichita, Kansas for a huge game with three-time champion Wichita State (20-4, 10-1) on Saturday.