Bryan Antoine out for six weeks with patella tendon injury

It’s the latest in a line of unfortunate injuries for Bryan Antoine.

Last week, the junior guard sustained a knee injury in practice, but it was not yet known the extent or the length of time he would miss as a result.

On Monday afternoon, the Villanova Wildcats released an update on Antoine’s status. They confirmed that it is a patella tendon injury, and specified that the injury is in his right knee. Although they affirmed Antoine will not need surgery, they announced he will have to miss six weeks in order to recover.

“The injury is a slight patella tendon issue that does not require surgery,” Villanova head coach Jay Wright stated. “Bryan is fully focused on the rest and rehab the doctors have prescribed. He continues to have an amazing attitude and we’re proud of his resilience.”

In his first two seasons as a Wildcat, Antoine battled shoulder injuries. Antoine underwent major surgery on his right shoulder in late May 2019, shortly after arriving at Villanova for the first time after high school.

He was not medically cleared until November of that same year. A second injury to the same shoulder occurred in October 2020 and he did not return to the lineup until Feb. 10, 2021.

It appeared he finally put those injuries behind him at the end of the 2020-21 season. With Collin Gillespie injured, he received an uptick in minutes and seemed to make the most of them during Villanova’s NCAA Tournament appearance. He knocked down a couple of key three-pointers in the opening round win against Winthrop and finished with eight points and two rebounds. He followed up with six points and two steals in the Wildcats’ Round of 32 win over North Texas.