Arizona basketball: Rawle Alkins out 8-12 weeks with broken foot

Arizona Wildcats sophomore guard Rawle Alkins is out eight to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured bone in his right foot, the UA announced Wednesday.

Alkins suffered the injury while participating in voluntary activities with his teammates Tuesday afternoon, the school says.

Eight to 12 weeks — aka two to three months — means Alkins would return in late November or late December.

His injury continues what’s been a nightmare week for Arizona basketball after assistant coach Book Richardson was arrested for bribery among other charges after an FBI investigation.

Richardson’s actions have the Arizona basketball program in hot water, and a few unnamed players were mentioned in the investigation, one of whom allegedly accepted payments from the UA.

While it’s unclear if that’s Alkins, every Arizona player is facing uncertainty right now.

From a basketball standpoint, Alkins’ injury is a significant blow the Wildcats’ backcourt. The do-it-all sophomore averaged 10.9 points per game last year and is expected to comprise one of the top wing duos in the country alongside Allonzo Trier.

The good news, if there is any, for Arizona is it has plenty of depth on the wing, including four-star freshman Brandon Randolph, UNC-Asheville transfer Dylan Smith, four-star freshman Alex Barcello, and five-star freshman Emmanuel Akot.

The Wildcats also have a fairly weak non-conference schedule, so they should be able to survive until Alkins returns to the lineup — assuming he’s eligible and Arizona basketball still exists by then, of course.

Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire