Indiana basketball leading scorer Malik Reneau won’t return vs Rutgers after exiting game with lower leg injury in first half

Indiana basketball is now dealing with concerning injury news.

Indiana forward Malik Reneau played just 29 seconds on Thursday against Rutgers before he left the game with a lower body injury. Reneau was under the rim as teammate Luke Goode fell into his planted leg. He went down to the floor grabbing his right knee. Reneau stayed on the floor for a few minutes before getting up and hobbling to the locker room. He will not return to the floor, being ruled out for the game.

He returned to the bench after halftime with ice on his knee.

Reneau was Indiana’s leading scorer this season, averaging 15.0 points to go along with 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting a career-best 60 percent from the floor and 73.7 percent from the foul line.

“Well, right now, we just got to evaluate him tomorrow,” Mike Woodson said following IU’s 84-74 win over Rutgers. “He couldn’t come back in the game and you know he’s a big piece to the puzzle. Going into this game, he was our leading scorer, so we’ll evaluate him tomorrow through our medical staff and see where he is and if he can’t play, it’s next man up. We just got to continue to go whoever is in uniform.”

He had scored in double-figures in 11-of-13 games coming into Thursday, including seven games with at least 15 points.

Reneau came into this season after averaging 15.4 points per game last season and had the best summer of his career — noticeable to both his coaches and teammates.

“Now physically, he has really committed to his workout and eating habits. His body has changed and his summer play was pretty good,” Woodson said this summer. “He’s playing pretty good basketball for us right now so you hope it’s just a nice carry over when it really starts.”

“Malik is a special talent, and everyone knows that he is special,” Trey Galloway added in the summer. “The way he can play and it’s just all about the little things with him, and he knows that. That’s one thing he has really been trying to focus on this offseason. Just fixing those little things because the sky is the limit for him. He’s done a really good job this summer getting his body right and really trying to focus on staying in shape.”

Indiana basketball returns to the court on Sunday against Penn State.

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