UConn Basketball: Impact of Andre Jackson suffering injury before season

BUFFALO, NEW YORK - MARCH 17: Andre Jackson #44 of the Connecticut Huskies comes out of the game during the first round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the New Mexico State Aggies at KeyBank Center on March 17, 2022 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Andre Jackson is expected to play a key role for UConn Basketball this upcoming season. With him suffering an injury to his hand, could he miss some time?

Tough injury news struck Wednesday evening as it was announced that UConn Basketball guard/forward Andre Jackson suffered a broken right pinky finger during practice earlier this week and will miss some time.

Jackson, who was named as one of the Huskies’ team captains along with Adama Sanogo, is going to be monitored by the coaching staff and will be re-evaluated at some point in November. There is no timetable as of now, but it can be fair to assume it would be anywhere from 4-6 weeks, if not longer, until his return to the court.

This is a big blow for head coach Dan Hurley if one of his star players has to miss anytime. UConn opens up the season on November 7 against Stonehill less than four weeks from now. He was already named one of the Huskies’ starters by Hurley along with Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins.

Last season, Jackson played in 33 games with 32 starts and averaged 6.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 3.1 APG. He is expected to be one of the primary ball handlers for the Huskies this season along with Tristen Newton and Hassan Diarra.

This isn’t the first go-around with injuries for Jackson so far in his time at Storrs. In December 2020, he broke his left wrist during a practice and missed nearly seven weeks before making his return. He was healthy all of last season, starting every game besides Senior Day.

If he has to miss any time, look for two of Nahiem Alleyne, Samson Johnson, and Alex Karaban to be in the opening night lineup as all three are currently vying for the fifth spot. Coach Hurley also may decide to start both point guards, Newton and Diarra, to make up for the ballhandling lost in Jackson’s absence.

Preseason top-25 power rankings for 2022-23. dark. Next

The Huskies have a fairly easy first few games, but six weeks from now they travel to Portland for the Phil Knight Invitational, in which they will play three highly competitive games against good opponents. It would be crucial for the success of the team if one of their leaders returns by then.