Taber out 10 weeks with injured knee

Senior forward Kyle Taber injured his knee last week and will have to undergo surgery today, according to a statement from IU Athletics media relations director J.D. Campbell. Taber is expected to miss 10 weeks while he recovers.

“This is very unfortunate for Kyle,” IU coach Tom Crean said in the statement.  “He has been a strong presence and has done things the right way for us since we arrived here.  We will move forward and help him through his rehabilitation and look to him to provide us with the leadership that is expected from a fifth-year senior at Indiana.”

A forward and former walk-on from Evansville, Taber saw increased playing time last season as IU searched for a good frontcourt complement to last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year, D.J. White. Taber – who won a scholarship just last year – averaged 1.3 points and 2.5 rebounds over 22 games last year, including four starts.

This is not the first knee problem for Taber, who redshirted his freshman year because of a knee injury. It was not clear as of press time whether Taber’s recent injury came to the same knee.

Taber is by far the Hoosiers’ most experienced player and their only senior. The Evansville Central High School graduate has played for each of IU’s last three coaches including Crean.