Some highlights from The Blade’s Kyle Rowland story yesterday about AJ Edu’s recovery from his second knee surgery include:

*He considers himself at 95% and should be available for full summer workouts that begin soon.

*He has been playing some one-on-one, will increase it to two-on-two, and eventually 5-on-5.

*TK says Edu has not lost his excellent defensive abilities and that Assistant Coach Jeff Massey has done a tremendous job coaching Edu on his offensive skills which still need developing.

*Edu’s Surgeon, Dr. Paul Fenton praised TK for telling him to do what was in the best interest of the player long term which meant season ending surgery vs. a procedure that would have gotten him back on the court last season but giving him a greater risk of developing arthritis later in life.

*Both TK and Dr. Fenton were amazed at how Edu handled the adversity dealt him for the second time and the positive attitude he displayed while going through his second rehab.

Thanks for posting the key aspects of the article.

(05-14-2021 01:14 PM)Basketball Jones Wrote:  Some highlights from The Blade’s Kyle Rowland story yesterday about AJ Edu’s recovery from his second knee surgery include:

*He considers himself at 95% and should be available for full summer workouts that begin soon.

*He has been playing some one-on-one, will increase it to two-on-two, and eventually 5-on-5.

*TK says Edu has not lost his excellent defensive abilities and that Assistant Coach Jeff Massey has done a tremendous job coaching Edu on his offensive skills which still need developing.

*Edu’s Surgeon, Dr. Paul Fenton praised TK for telling him to do what was in the best interest of the player long term which meant season ending surgery vs. a procedure that would have gotten him back on the court last season but giving him a greater risk of developing arthritis later in life.

*Both TK and Dr. Fenton were amazed at how Edu handled the adversity dealt him for the second time and the positive attitude he displayed while going through his second rehab.

The good news is ... he's a sophomore again!!!

The bad news is, the 'bonus' year for covid given by the NCAA was actually just a second redshirt year. Bummer.

UT and the staff has truly been thoughtful and authentic in how they have handled AJ's injuries. In each case they have taken a long term approach prioritizing his full recovery and future health over getting him back on the court even though there was a chance in each RS year that he could have snuck back for some play late in the season as we chased that elusive NCAA berth. With joint injuries it's crucial to fully do the rehab and healing and minimize scar tissue and pre-arthritic conditions. Sounds like AJ will be at his physical best to begin the 2021 season, although I imagine he will have a bit of rust. I know we are all eager to see if the reports of his intensive 1 on 1 work w coach massey will show up in his offensive game, but to me the big thing is that his defense is top notch because that just transforms our team. Having that excellent post defender and rim protector back there gives the rest of the squad so much more energy and capacity to pressure the ball and jump passing lanes. Stay well AJ. Looking forward to a healthy and productive return.