Yante Maten out indefinitely with sprained knee

Georgia star forward Yante Maten is out indefinitely with a sprained right knee, Bulldogs coach Mark Fox announced Sunday.

Maten was injured in the second minute of Saturday’s 82-77 loss to Kentucky when he collided with Wildcats guard Isaiah Briscoe while battling for a rebound. He limped off the floor and Fox described the injury as “serious” and “significant” after the contest.

Maten was examined Sunday but Fox didn’t give a timetable for his return.

“I am very disappointed for Yante,” Fox said in Sunday’s statement. “He loves to play, and it’s tough when that is taken away by injury. Fortunately, it appears that surgery is not needed, and he should make a full recovery in time.”

Maten, a junior, entered Saturday’s game with a team-leading scoring average of 19.4, which ranked third in the SEC. He was averaging 7.2 rebounds.

Fox wasn’t interested in venturing a guess over whether Maten will be available again this season.

“I really don’t know,” Fox said. “I’ll tell you this. He’s as good a kid I’ve ever coached. Our deal is we tell our parents we’ll treat them like our kids. If there is any risk he won’t play.”

The Bulldogs are off until Thursday’s game at Alabama. Georgia is 15-12 overall, and 6-8 in SEC play