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Former Maryland basketball forward Kevin Huerter has reportedly undergone surgery on his right hand to repair torn ligaments and will be out for two months, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
After two years at Maryland, Huerter is a projected first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. He had an impressive showing at the NBA Combine in May even though he elected to sit out during the Friday scrimmages. At the time, it was reported that he had a torn ligament in a knuckle on his right hand, but he wouldn’t need surgery, only rest. He initially hurt his hand during a road game at Northwestern in February.
Huerter averaged 14.8 points per game for the Terps in 2017-18 with a 50 percent shooting average, including nearly 42 percent from three-point range.
The immediate fear is that Huerter’s draft stock may drop as a result of this news, but that may not be the case. Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo is reporting that Huerter was shut down after a team picking in the 20s promised him they’d draft him.
The NBA Draft is June 21 at 7 p.m. ET.