Austin Etherington injury: Foot surgery sends Butler forward to sidelines

Butler Bulldogs forward Austin Etherington has been sidelined for 12-16 weeks after undergoing foot surgery, the school announced on Friday. Etherington, a 6-foot-6 forward from Cicero, Indiana, who finished out his tenure with the Indiana Hoosiers recently, suffered this injury during a summer workout according to the release sent out by the school.

Unfortunately for Etherington, this is not the first time that he has suffered a catastrophic injury. During his sophomore season, he fractured his left patella in a game against Central Connecticut State and wound up playing just seven games that year.

He returned to the Hoosiers lineup last year when he played 30 games, averaging 2.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest.

The good news in an otherwise grim story is that Etherington's timetable for a return lands squarely during the opening weeks of the college basketball season. Assuming no catastrophic setbacks occur for the Cicero native, Etherington will be able to join the Bulldogs in time for their nonconference slate in their second year under the Big East Conference banner.