Houston's Ramon Walker Jr. returns from injury for Cougars' 2024 NCAA Tournament game vs Longwood
Houston enters the 2024 NCAA Tournament as one of a handful of favorites to win the program’s first-ever national championship or return to the Final Four for the second time in the past four seasons.
As the Cougars attempt to do that, they’ll have a long-awaited reinforcement.
With 12:44 remaining in the first half of Houston’s first-round game Friday night against Longwood at FedEx Forum in Memphis, guard Ramon Walker Jr. checked into the contest.
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For the 1 seed Cougars, it was more than a simple substitution.
By coming off the bench, Walker entered a game for the first time in more than a month after suffering a knee injury that was previously thought to be season-ending.
Ramon Walker injury
Three days after Houston defeated Iowa State 73-65 on Feb. 19 in a matchup of top-10 teams, it lost an important piece.
During a practice, Walker suffered a torn meniscus which, at the time, was reportedly a season-ending setback for the junior guard from Pearland, Texas.
The Cougars recovered from the setback, winning each of their next eight games without Walker before being blown out by Iowa State 69-41 in the Big 12 Tournament championship game.
Walker is one of several Houston players who has dealt with injuries in the late stages of the 2023-24 season.
Leading rebounder J’Wan Roberts hurt his right leg in a Big 12 Tournament semifinal win against Texas Tech and missed the title game loss to Iowa State, though he started his team’s NCAA Tournament game Friday. Additionally, guard Terrance Arceneaux tore his Achilles tendon in December and forward Joseph Tugler broke his foot in late February.
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Ramon Walker stats
Prior to his injury, Walker had been a solid contributor off the bench for Houston, making his return notable for a team with championship aspirations.
Walker is averaging 10.9 minutes per game, the 10th-highest total on the team. During those minutes, he’s averaging two points and three rebounds per game, which will give bolster the team’s depth as it weathers some of those other injuries to rotation players.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Houston's Ramon Walker Jr. returns from injury for Cougars' NCAA Tournament game
