BASKETBALL/Aquas' Filipino-American star likely to miss rest of season due to foot injury
![Basketball player Jason Brickman (second right). Photo courtesy of T1 League Jan. 27, 2024](https://imgcdn.cna.com.tw/Eng/WebEngPhotos/800/2024/20240222/1151x768_311928574173.jpg)
Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) Jason Brickman may not be suiting up for the T1 LEAGUE's Kaohsiung Aquas again this season due to a foot injury that is set to sideline the Filipino-American point guard for up to three months, the franchise announced Wednesday.
The two-time NCAA assist leader sustained a Jones fracture in his left foot during a home game against the Taipei Mars on Feb. 17, it said, adding that he subsequently underwent surgery on Feb. 20 at the Kaohsiung Medical University's Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, a contracted partner of the franchise.
The 32-year-old guard will rest for eight to 12 weeks before being reevaluated, the Aquas added.
The T1 LEAGUE assist leader appeared to limp for a few plays before leaving the court with 2:54 remaining in the fourth quarter when the Aquas took a 92-91 lead, ahead of their 98-94 victory in the team's first game after the Lunar New Year break.
![Some Aquas players pay a visit to Jason Brickman (lying in bed) at the Kaohsiung Medical University's Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital in this photo issued by the Aquas on Thursday. Photo taken from Kaohsiung Aquas' Facebook Feb. 22, 2024](https://imgcdn.cna.com.tw/Eng/WebEngPhotos/800/2024/20240223/1152x1440_808151658246.jpg)
As of Thursday, Brickman averaged 17.9 points and a league-leading 12.7 assists, plus 6.3 rebounds per game.
This is the first time the 2022-23 T1 LEAGUE all-star guard will miss multiple games since joining Kaohsiung in the league's inaugural 2021-22 season.
Known for his availability, Brickman featured in 59 of the 60 regular-season games in the previous two seasons and did not miss a game until Feb. 18.
He has led the Aquas in minutes played per game since the inaugural season, averaging 38:13 in the 2021-22 season, and a league-high 42:15 last season.
Brickman's long-term absence from the court will be a huge blow to Kaohsiung's backcourt, especially after the loss of shooting guard Chiu Tzu-hsuan (邱子軒).
Chiu tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in a game against the Leopards on Jan. 27 and will miss the rest of the season.
Chiu has clocked the third-highest number of minutes played among the Aquas guards in games played this season, averaging nearly 27 minutes, behind only Brickman and shooting guard Yu Huan-ya (于煥亞).
The Aquas, currently 12-6 and 0.5 games ahead of the Taiwan Beer Leopards and New Taipei CTBC DEA, will not play a game until March 2 when they are set to visit Tainan to face off against the Tainan TSG GhostHawks, currently 3-11.
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