ATHENS — An already daunting task for Georgia basketball team became an even greater challenge this week as coach Tom Crean shared the news of a season-ending injury to P.J. Horne.
Horne, a senior and lone returning starter for the Bulldogs, underwent reconstructive surgery for a knee injury suffered in practice this past weekend. The 6-foot-6 forward from Tifton is Georgia’s leading returning scorer and rebounder from the 2020-21 team (8.5 ppg/3.4 rpg).
Crean shared the news via his personal Twitter account Tuesday.
Horne’s loss is only the latest challenge to befall Crean’s fourth Georgia team. The Bulldogs lost more than half of their roster to the transfer portal at the conclusion of last season, when the team finished with a 14-12 record. So, they already were looking at a major rebuild.
But Horne, an experienced veteran, stood as the hub around which the Bulldogs were being reconstructed. Now, Georgia will have to rely instead on 10 newcomers and four returning lettermen to compete this season. The Bulldogs were picked this week to finish last in the 14-team SEC.
“This is such a major blow to us because (Horne) was playing so well and showing great leadership as our leading returning player,” Crean said on Twitter. “But more so because he is such a great person and one of the finest people I’ve ever coached. He cares about his teammates deeply.”
