Xavier sophomore point guard Edmond Sumner will be sidelined for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Sumner suffered the injury late in a win at St. John's on Sunday when he landed awkwardly on a drive to the basket. He was averaging 15.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.
Sumner also has been playing with a shoulder injury he suffered in the loss to Villanova on Jan. 10.
"I am devastated for Edmond," Xavier coach Chris Mack said in a statement. "Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to great people. Through diligent rehab, hard work and prayer I know Ed will return to the court better than ever. He's an awesome kid, a fearless competitor and a terrific teammate. I'm going to miss coaching him the rest of the year. As far as our current team is concerned, our goals have not changed. Next man up."
Sumner is projected as a late first-round draft pick, multiple NBA executives told ESPN. The injury could affect whether he returns to school or still decides to leave early for the June NBA draft.
Xavier is 15-6 and 5-3 in Big East play. Freshman Quentin Goodin will assume the primary point guard duties without Sumner in the lineup. Goodin scored 16 points in 25 minutes against St. John's, and had seven points and six assists in the loss to Cincinnati on Thursday night.