Rubin, a 6-8 freshman from Chicago, Illinois, will undergo ankle surgery following the team’s road trip to South Florida and the Battle 4 Atlantis. Expected recovery time is estimated at eight to ten weeks.
“Wes has an ankle that needs to be taken care of with surgery,” said Coach Jacobson. “Fortunately, the prognosis for both surgery and recovery are very positive. Wes is doing so well, but the health of our players will always drive these conversations and decisions. This will turn into a redshirt year for Wes which will allow him to get healthy and put in a bunch of work in the weight room and on the court. Wes has a bright, bright future and we look forward to getting the surgery done and getting on the road to full health.”
Peksari, a 6-4 sophomore from Izmir, Turkey, appeared in 25 games for the Panthers during the 2022-23 season, scoring 20 points with 13 rebounds, 21 assists and six steals.
“Ege and our staff have had conversations over the past ten days in terms of what’s best for our program and for him given where the depth chart is at with the point guard position,” Jacobson explained. “We are all in agreement that a redshirt year makes the most sense and brings with it a number of positives for Ege and our program. It will allow Ege to continue to work on his strength, speed and footwork while preserving the year of eligibility. It also changes the spacing of our depth chart as we look down the road. Ege remains the same member of our program as he was prior to this decision and our expectations for him don’t change in regards to his performance on the floor, off the floor and in the classroom. We look forward to a positive year of growth for Ege.”
Northern Iowa returns to action on Sunday, November 19 as the Panthers take on South Florida at 4 p.m. CT in Tampa.
Last season, the Panthers tied South Florida in the final seconds of regulation, but UNI would ultimately fall short after a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer as the Bulls defeated the Panthers 72-69 inside the McLeod Center.