clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Akok Akok underwent successful surgery to repair ruptured Achilles tendon

Akok will miss the remainder of his breakout freshman season but is resting comfortably post surgery.

Ian Bethune/The UConn Blog

On Monday night, UConn confirmed that freshman Akok Akok suffered a left Achilles injury during Sunday’s 64-61 win against Memphis. An MRI earlier in the day confirmed that Akok completely ruptured his left Achilles against the Tigers and will miss the remainder of the 2019-20 season.

One day later, the school announced that Akok underwent successful surgery Tuesday night to repair his ruptured left Achilles. UConn says that Akok is resting comfortably and should return to campus on Wednesday. Once he is back at UConn, his recovery and rehab will be watched by UConn medical and athletic training staff.

At this time, UConn has not mentioned or announced a timetable for rehabilitation for Akok’s injury.

The 6-foot-9 freshman suffered the injury Sunday while going up for a block against Precious Achiuwa, came down holding his left leg and had to be carried off the floor with the help of the official team doctor.

He returned to the bench a few minutes later on crutches and was consoled by head coach Danny Hurley.

Akok earned his way into the starting lineup from the start of the season and made an immediate impact on the Huskies’ team defense, becoming a fearsome presence in the paint. Akok led the team in blocks with 65, more than doubling the next-highest player on the team, and averaged 6.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Updated Tuesday with information on Akok’s successful surgery. This story will continue to be updated as more information is released.