Injured Iowa hoops recruit likely won’t play again

Iowa ladies’s basketball recruit Ava Jones, who was injured July 5 when an impaired driver hit her and her household on a sidewalk in Louisville, Kentucky — a crash that killed her father — just isn’t anticipated to play basketball once more.

In line with The Cedar Rapids Gazette, Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder informed the varsity’s Presidential Committee on Athletics on Thursday in Iowa Metropolis that Jones’ aggressive basketball profession may be over due to accidents suffered within the crash.

“She’s nonetheless any person that we’re going to have as part of our program as a result of we consider in her,” Bluder informed the committee, in line with the Gazette. “She dedicated to us, and simply because she had one thing dangerous occur to her does not imply that we flip our again on her. We’ll be there for her and her household as a lot as we are able to.”

Jones’ scholarship will nonetheless be honored by Iowa, the coach reportedly mentioned.

An Iowa spokesperson informed ESPN on Friday that the varsity couldn’t remark straight about Jones since she continues to be categorized as a recruit.

Jones tore the foremost ligaments in each knees and suffered head accidents when the driving force, Michael Hurley, hit her, her dad and mom and her brother whereas the household was in Kentucky for an AAU basketball event. Jones’ father, Trey, died just a few days later and her mom, Amy, was significantly damage. Jones’ brother, Creek, was not significantly injured.

In August, a grand jury indicted Hurley and charged him with one rely of homicide, two counts of first-degree assault, one rely of assault within the fourth diploma and one rely of working a motorcar beneath the affect. Hurley allegedly informed police he had taken the opioid Hydrocodone earlier than driving.

Jones, a 6-foot-2 ahead who was ranked 83rd by ESPN HoopGurlz for the Class of 2023, initially dedicated to Arizona State however decommitted in March after coach Charli Turner Thorne retired. Jones introduced her dedication to Iowa on July 3, two days earlier than the crash.