PROVIDENCE — One of Brown’s expected men’s basketball standouts could miss the upcoming 2024-25 season, and his career on the East Side could be at a premature end.
Senior forward Nana Owusu-Anane underwent successful left shoulder surgery this week after suffering an injury in practice. His projected recovery timeline could keep him out through March, which will feature Ivy Madness at Pizzitola Center and the NCAA Tournament.
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Owusu-Anane suffered the injury after returning to campus this fall. A source told The Journal he sought a pair of medical opinions before opting for surgery, which will keep him out indefinitely. Owusu-Anane was a team captain who looked to be one of the premier returning players in the Ivy League.
“We obviously feel so badly for Nana, and our main focus is getting him the support and treatment that he needs,” Brown coach Mike Martin said in a Friday afternoon statement. “He’s in great hands with the medical team that is in place, and I know that he’ll attack his recovery like he always does and will come back from this better than he was before.”
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Owusu-Anane was selected to the all-conference second team as a junior while averaging 15.0 points and 8.8 rebounds. He collected 11 double-doubles, including 18 points and 15 rebounds in a semifinal upset of Princeton on campus at Columbia. Owusu-Anane has appeared in 77 games through three seasons with the Bears, including 59 starts.
Owusu-Anane emerged as a major factor for Brown in 2022-23, averaging 10.3 points and 8.2 rebounds. He started in all but one of his 25 appearances and became the frontcourt foundation for the Bears into future seasons. Brown went just 13-18 overall last year, but a seven-game winning streak down the stretch created a chance to reach March Madness.
Owusu-Anane entered the transfer portal before opting to return for his final year. Depending on his recovery, he could request a medical redshirt and play a final season of college basketball in 2025-26. A source said Owusu-Anane will remain enrolled with the Bears and is on course to graduate in the spring.
Brown will now lean on star guard Kino Lilly Jr. entering the upcoming season, which begins unofficially with Saturday morning’s open Brown-White scrimmage at 9 a.m. AJ Lesburt and Lyndel Erold both started the conference tournament title game last year while Aaron Cooley appeared off the bench. Landon Lewis and N’famara Dabo will be expected to pick up some frontcourt minutes and the Bears could opt for a smaller lineup with guards Sam Klores, Malcolm Wrisby-Jefferson, Adrian Uchidiuno and heralded freshman Jeremiah Jenkins.
“This will be a tremendous opportunity for other players to emerge during his absence,” Martin said.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
