Jordan Longino to undergo surgery on Friday for knee injury

The whispers and rumors made their rounds, and the concern continued to mount for Jordan Longino’s absence.

On Thursday afternoon, before Villanova’s Sweet 16 game with Michigan, the team announced that Longino won’t be making the trip to San Antonio and he will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee Friday in the Philadelphia area.

The 6-foot-5 guard sustained the injury in practice more than a week ago and was not dressed for Villanova’s first and second round NCAA Tournament games in Pittsburgh.

“We’re all crushed for Jordan that this injury has prevented him from playing in the NCAA Tournament,” stated Villanova coach Jay Wright. “Jordan overcame injuries last fall to become an important part of our team and we’ve missed having him on the court, but we know he’ll bring great effort to his recovery, and we’re excited about his future at Villanova.”

Longino appeared in 26 games for the Wildcats this season, averaging 8.8 minutes and 1.8 points per game. He started seeing more frequent playing time towards the end of the season. His best showing came in a lopsided win over Butler in the regular season finale, where he posted 10 points and seven rebounds.