Pitt head basketball coach Kevin Stallings made an appearance on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan on Friday morning and revealed that senior forward Ryan Luther will not be available for the Panthers’ upcoming matchup with Virginia Tech.
“He won’t be available tomorrow, and I’m not as encouraged as I would like to be about the notion of getting him back quickly,” Stallings said. “He was re-evaluated two days ago on Wednesday, and there does not appear to be a whole lot of progress made. … We’re still looking at some time here with Ryan not being available.”
Luther has been sidelined since Dec. 16 with what Craig Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described as a “stress reaction” in his right foot. Initially, Stallings estimated that Luther might be able to return for the start of the ACC schedule, but that time table proved too optimistic.
The star forward’s absence has been keenly felt, as he leads the team in points, rebounds and steals per game. So far this season, he’s averaged a double-double, scoring 12.7 points and adding 10.1 rebounds per game.
The Panthers will head to Blacksburg, Virginia, to take on the Hokies this Saturday, and tipoff is scheduled for noon ET.
