Georgia Tech point guard Travis Jorgenson’s promising freshman season came to a premature end Wednesday night at McCamish Pavilion.
An MRI test Thursday revealed that Jorgenson tore the ACL in his right knee when he drove the baseline and rose to shoot in the second half of the Jackets’ loss to Dayton. He will be scheduled for surgery in the next two weeks.
Having played only four games, Jorgenson will be eligible for a medical redshirt, which would give him four seasons of eligibility starting with the 2014-15 season.
“This is unfortunate for Travis and a loss for us,” coach Brian Gregory said in a statement. “He had put in a lot of work and was poised to have a very good freshman year. But we know he’s going to get the best treatment and rehab possible, and with his work ethic, he’ll make a full recovery and be back on the court next year.”
Jorgenson averaged 19.5 minutes off the bench before Wednesday and immediately contributed with his passing ability and poise. He appeared to be a candidate to receive more minutes and possibly start as the season progressed. He had 10 assists against nine turnovers and averaged 4.3 points per game in Tech’s first four games.
The injury will open playing time for Solomon Poole and Corey Heyward, who himself is recovering from two ACL tears to the same knee, the second occurring in December. Poole started the first four games alongside guard Trae Golden.
The guard rotation also will shift because Chris Bolden, who started 15 games last season as a freshman, returned Thursday after a three-game suspension. Small forward Jason Morris, who can play guard, is expected to return in the next couple of weeks from surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot.
Tech plays its next game Sunday at McCamish Pavilion against North Carolina A&T.
