Wake Forest point guard Jao Ituka will miss the beginning of the 2023-24 men’s basketball season with a knee injury, Head Coach Steve Forbes announced on Friday, Sept. 15.
Ituka will be out 4-6 months after suffering a lateral meniscus injury in his left knee during practice last week. The junior underwent surgery and has begun the rehab process.
“We are heartbroken for Jao,” Forbes said. “He worked so hard to rehabilitate his injured right knee that ended his season a year ago. All his hard work and perseverance put him in position for playing time this upcoming season. [Ituka] is a resilient young man, and I know he will overcome this latest setback.”
Ituka was named a team captain and appeared in six games for Wake Forest last season, averaging 8.5 minutes and 3.0 points per game before being medically redshirted in December 2022.
Ituka is in his second season with the Wake Forest basketball program after transferring from Marist College. The 6-foot-1 point guard averaged 15.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg and 1.6 apg during his one season at Marist, where he was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Year and second-team All-MAAC. 1
