Mike Woodson says IU basketball forward Malik Reneau won’t be back ‘any time soon’

IU basketball head coach Mike Woodson says the team will likely be playing without its leading scorer for quite some time.

Indiana went into its matchup with Penn State on Sunday without Malik Reneau, who was injured in IU’s mid-week win over Rutgers. Reneau played just 29 seconds on Thursday 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 would not return to the floor and went on to get an MRI after the game.

On Sunday, Woodson provided some additional details on Reneau.

“Don’t know when he’s gonna be back,” Woodson said. “It’s kind of in the medical (staff’s) hand. I mean, he didn’t tear up anything, but don’t know when he’s gonna come back. I really don’t.  I just gotta follow the doctor’s lead and he’s gotta do what he needs to do to get back when he can. But it won’t be any time soon.”

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 before the injury. He is shooting a career-best 60 percent from the floor and 73.7 percent from the foul line.

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.

Indiana took down Penn State, 77-71, on Sunday without Reneau.

Indiana heads back home to play USC on Wednesday night.

SEE ALSO: Key takeaways from the IU basketball 77-71 win over Penn State

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