According to a mid-day release by Villanova, one of the Big East's best scorers, Maalik Wayns' left knee injury suffered on Tuesday night has been diagnosed as a sprained medial collateral ligament. Wayns underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was evaluated by Villanova team Orthopedist Dr. Rob Good of Main Line Health System this morning.
"It will be a day-by-decision," stated Good of Wayns’ return to the court.
Wayns leads the Wildcats in scoring at 17.8 ppg and was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on Jan. 23.
Wayns missed most of the second half against Providence after suffering the injury late in the first half. He left the court for a period of time, to allow the team's trainers to have a closer look at his knee. When he returned, there was ice on the joint and a towel placed over his head.
"The No. 1 concern for all of us is Maalik’s long-term health," stated Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "We will be conservative with his rehab and recovery from this setback."
His teammates had to claw back from being down by 19-points to score their 74-72 victory without him. Now, they face a situation where their high-scoring teammate might not be available to help them on a road-trip to the University of South Florida next week.
He did not participate in this morning’s team practice at the Davis Center.