MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Just as West Virginia’s men’s basketball team had recently worked several players back into its rotation, the Mountaineers suffered a major loss.
Interim head coach Josh Eilert announced Monday center Jesse Edwards will be sidelined approximately four weeks due to a fractured right wrist. Edwards is scheduled to undergo surgery this week.
The 6-foot-11 Edwards suffered the injury Saturday during the Mountaineers’ 87-79 loss to Massachusetts. He was reserved to the bench for nearly all of the second half and had tape on the wrist. Edwards, a fifth-year player in his first season at WVU after transferring from Syracuse, had his worst showing this season against the Minutemen and was limited to two points on 1-for-7 shooting with three rebounds.
In nine previous games as a Mountaineer, Edwards hadn’t finished with fewer than 13 points or five boards. In addition to averaging 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds, Edwards is the team leader with 17 blocks.
Edwards previously suffered a broken left wrist while playing for the Orange. That injury occurred in February of 2022 and sidelined Edwards for the remainder of that season.
West Virginia welcomed guards Kerr Kriisa and Noah Farrakhan to its lineup as both made their Mountaineer debut against UMass. Akok Akok has played in each of the last three games after missing the first seven due to a medical emergency suffered in an exhibition against George Mason. The 6-10 Akok likely becomes WVU’s starting center in Edwards’ absence.