PROVIDENCE — One of Brown’s most anticipated players in men’s basketball could miss the upcoming 2024-25 season, and his career on the East Side could end prematurely.
Senior forward Nana Owusu-Anane successfully underwent surgery on his left shoulder this week after suffering an injury in training. His anticipated recovery schedule could keep him out until March, which will feature Ivy Madness at the Pizzitola Center and the NCAA Tournament.
Owusu-Anane suffered an injury after returning to campus this fall. A source told the Journal he sought two medical opinions before opting for surgery, which would keep him out indefinitely. Owusu-Anane was a team captain who appeared to be one of the best returning players in the Ivy League.
“We obviously feel terrible for Nana, and our main goal is to get him the support and treatment he needs,” Brown coach Mike Martin said in a statement Friday afternoon. “He is in good hands with the medical team in place, and I know that he will attack his recovery as he always does and that he will come back better than before.”
More: Kansas, Kentucky and 2 in-state rivals highlight Brown’s 2024-25 men’s basketball schedule
More: Ivy Madness is coming to Providence next spring. Will Brown basketball be one of them?
Owusu-Anane was selected to the all-conference second team as a junior when he averaged 15.0 points and 8.8 rebounds. He had 11 double-doubles, including 18 points and 15 rebounds in a surprise semifinal against Princeton on the Columbia campus. Owusu-Anane played in 77 games in three seasons with the Bears, including 59 starts.
Owusu-Anane has become a major factor for Brown in 2022-23, averaging 10.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. He started in all but one of his 25 appearances and became the basis of the Bears’ frontcourt for the seasons to come. Brown went just 13-18 last year, but a seven-game winning streak created a chance to reach March Madness.
Owusu-Anane entered the transfer portal before opting to return for his senior year. Depending on his recovery, he could request a medical redshirt and play one final season of college basketball in 2025-26. A source said Owusu-Anane will remain enrolled with the Bears and is on track to graduate in the spring.
Brown will now rely on star guard Kino Lilly Jr. for the upcoming season, which unofficially begins with Saturday morning’s Brown-White open scrimmage at 9 a.m. AJ Lesburt and Lyndel Erold both started the conference tournament title game last year while Aaron Cooley appeared outside the game. bench. Landon Lewis and N’famara Dabo should get some minutes in the frontcourt and the Bears could opt for a smaller lineup with guards Sam Klores, Malcolm Wrisby-Jefferson, Adrian Uchidiuno and heralded freshman Jeremiah Jenkins.
“It will be a great opportunity for other players to emerge during his absence,” Martin said.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article was originally published in the Providence Journal: Brown’s Nana Owusu-Anane likely to miss season with injury
