Virginia Tech sophomore G Jonathan Kabongo will not play this season. Mike Young announced the news following the Hokies' loss to Syracuse on Saturday.
#Hokies coach Mike Young said after the game guard Jonathan Kabongo won't play this season because of a lingering injury he suffered in August. The 6-foot-4 sophomore has a redshirt available.
— Norm Wood (@normwood) January 18, 2020
Kabongo suffered an injury in early August that was expected to keep him out for the season. However, after a couple of months, there was some optimism about the potential for a return this season.
At the ACC Media Day in October, Young said that Kabongo may be able to make a return during ACC play.
"We're not, by any stretch of the imagination, closing the book on him playing later this year," Young said at the time.
However, Young confirmed on Saturday that Kabongo will not be able to return this season. While he could have provided a valuable piece off the bench, it seems like the safest decision not to rush Kabongo back.
As a true freshman, he averaged just 4.9 minutes per game. Before the injury, he was slated to get a substantial increase in playing time.
Since he played as a true freshman, Kabongo does have a redshirt available. The Hokies will most likely utilize that with Kabongo returning next season with three years of eligibility remaining.
