Oklahoma senior forward Sam Godwin will be sidelined for what could be his final college basketball game.
Godwin is inactive for the 9-seed Sooners' game against the 8-seed UConn Huskies in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.
This is the fourth game Godwin has missed because of a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee. He went down early during the Sooners' upset against then-No. 15 Missouri on March 5 and hasn't seen the court since.
Godwin told multiple reporters on Thursday that he was determined to return Friday, but OU coach Porter Moser did not sound optimistic about that possibility.
Godwin, from Ada, Oklahoma, had started every game this season before the injury. He was averaging 6.5 points and 5.2 rebounds.
As was the same the previous three games, 6-foot-10 senior transfer Mohamed Wague started for the Sooners against UConn. As a starter, Wague is averaging eight points and 5.6 rebounds in three games.
Wague transferred from Alabama this past offseason. He started his career at Harcum College, then went to West Virginia, then to Alabama before getting to OU, having never spent more than one year at the same school.
The Sooners are 2-1 without Godwin in the starting lineup. Godwin's experience and added depth down low would certainly be beneficial for OU during the NCAA Tournament, but Wague has been a spark plug for the Sooners and might have earned the start against UConn no matter Godwin's health status.