INDIANAPOLIS — In more than 30 years on the sidelines, Butler basketball coach Thad Matta experienced something for the first time Wednesday during the Bulldogs exhibition game against Indiana State.
Freshman Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor rolled his ankle during pregame warmups and did not play against the Sycamores. Oliogu-Elabor is not expected to be out long-term, and the injury isn’t a high ankle sprain.
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“He turned his ankle in warmups, I never had that happen,” Matta said. “It was probably 50/50 if he could go. So, we decided let’s not chance it.”
Freshmen Jackson Keith and Jack McCaffery saw increased playing time in Oliogu-Elabor’s absence. Keith earned time with the starters against Indiana State, playing the 4.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound forward showcased his energy and strength pulling down four rebounds, two offensive, scoring 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting. McCaffery did his damage from long-range scoring six points on two 3-pointers. He added a team-high four assists and did not commit a single turnover.
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In addition to Oliogu-Elabor, Butler played without junior center Kevin Ndzie. Ndzie injured his back in practice and was held out against the Sycamores. His timetable to return is unclear.
In a positive injury note, point guard Jalen Jackson played Wednesday’s game without a minutes restriction as he works back from an offseason ankle dislocation. He finished with seven points, a team-high eight rebounds, four assists and one block in 25 minutes.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball injury: Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor doesn’t play vs Indiana State
