The Xavier Musketeers suffered a massive blow on Tuesday. Xavier, the No. 16 team in the AP Top 25 poll this week, learned they would be without a key contributor for at least a month, as Zach Freemantle sustained a serious left foot injury.
CBS Sports college basketball insider Matt Norlander reported the devastating injury news.
“Breaking: Xavier’s Zach Freemnatle will miss at least a month with a left foot injury, Sean Miller told CBS Sports. It’s the same foot he had surgery on in 2021,” Norlander tweeted.
Breaking: Xavier's Zach Freemantle will miss at least a month with a left foot injury, Sean Miller told @CBSSports. It's the same foot he had surgery on in 2021. Freemantle's among the most efficient bigs in the country: 15.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 58.5 FG%.
Story: https://t.co/RsXn4eX19o— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) January 31, 2023
While the injury will require Freemantle to miss significant time, there’s optimism about his status still. According to the report, head coach Sean Miller said that the injury would not require surgery.
“We’re optimistic he’d return the last week of the season or be available for the Big East Tournament,” Miller told CBS Sports. “Sooner than that is not an option. Coming back sooner would put him further at risk.”
Miller later emphasized, “Unless he has some type of setback with his healing, he clearly would be back for the Big East Tournament.”
Xavier is 17-5 on the season through their first 22 games. The Musketeers rode an 11-game winning streak after a 4-3 start to the season but have gone 2-2 in their last four. Crucial games loom against Providence and Marquette, but the Musketeers are projected as of now to go 6-3 in their last nine games according to KenPom.
That being said, the injury gods hit Xavier with an absolutely massive blow.
The college basketball world reacted to the devastating injury news.
https://twitter.com/mattstdream/status/1620503705312464896
Reacting to the news from @MattNorlander that Xavier’s Zach Freemantle will miss at least a month with a left foot injury. What does this mean for the Musketeers moving forward and how does this affect their Big East regular season title hopes? Thoughts: pic.twitter.com/plNmOc57UZ
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) January 31, 2023
Brutal news for Xavier Musketeers – Freemantle is a huge part of all their success this season. https://t.co/VPIE5kSdND
— College Hoops Chat Show (@CollHoopsChat) January 31, 2023
And the February blues return to Victory Parkway 🫠 https://t.co/gfAKPacicJ
— Josh Ayen (@Josh_Ayen) January 31, 2023
A massive blow to already not very deep Xavier team. Freemantle is having the best year of his career. https://t.co/jfpFzRsY1d
— 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽 𝓓𝓮𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓼 (@mjdemarinis) January 31, 2023
Potentially significant blow to Xavier. We will see if his absence affects the Musketeers like Ryan Kalkbrenner's absence did Creighton. https://t.co/Wqn84O7a7X
— Erik Haslam (@haslametrics) January 31, 2023
Huge break for PC & Marquette in the race for first place in the Big East. #pcbb https://t.co/yjesMah8Z9
— Morey Hershgordon (@MHershgordon) January 31, 2023
