Miami Basketball: Five-star Lonnie Walker tears meniscus and will need surgery

Miami basketball’s five-star recruit Lonnie Walker suffered a torn meniscus on July 11th and the Hurricanes will need to work around losing the talented freshman.

Incoming freshman Lonnie Walker, Miami’s top recruit, suffered a torn meniscus in his right knee on July 11th, according to reports.

Walker, a five-star shooting guard out of Reading, Pennsylvania, is Miami’s best recruit this century, according to 247Sports. He was rated as the #15 class of 2017 recruit in the country.

I got the opportunity to see Walker in the Jordan Brand Classic All-American Game, where he put on a phenomenal showing. Walker posted 19 points while going 8-of-14 from the floor. He flashed superb perimeter abilities as well as an ease to get to the basket.

In the 16 logged games on PrepCircuit, the 6’5″ shooting guard averaged 21.4 points per game for Reading while leading the Red Knights to a 6A state title. Reading finished as Pennsylvania’s #4 high school team.

ESPN’s scouting report on Walker noted that he has considerable length (6’10” wingspan) and a gifted athlete. Additionally, Walker is a fantastic scorer with impressive slashing abilities. However, Walker lacks a good overall feel for the game and needs to improve upon his decision-making skills. Nonetheless, Walker has numerous tools that should translate to immediate success at the collegiate level and beyond.

Walker, a fast-rising prospect, is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. This injury, depending on severity, ideally will not impact Walker’s playing time this season. A torn meniscus usually takes about 4-6 weeks to heal without surgery, however, an operation will inevitably extend the recovery time.

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An official timetable will be determined after the operation. Miami is looking to enter this upcoming season as a preseason top-25 team. They return a talented backcourt and adding a healthy Lonnie Walker at some point will surely help them out. The Hurricanes are going to be a problem for a lot of teams this season thanks to their coaching, strong returners, and top-notch recruiting class.