College of Charleston men’s basketball junior point guard Joe Chealey is out for the season after suffering a lower left leg injury in practice earlier this week.
Joe Chealey
Chealey was one of the team’s top returning scorers after averaging 12.4 points per game as a sophomore in 2014-15. He also ranked among the top five assists leaders (3.3 apg) in the Colonial Athletic Association with a 1.38 assist-to-turnover ratio.
“We are really disappointed for Joe,” College of Charleston Head Men’s Basketball Coach Earl Grant said. “He worked extremely hard in the spring and summer improving his skill level, athleticism and strength to get ready for the upcoming season and to lead our team. I know he will be in good hands with our medical staff during his surgery and recovery.”
Chealey’s experience on the floor will be missed, with the point guard having played in 60 career games with 42 starts for the Cougars. Last season, he recorded his first career 100-plus assist season (109) and knocked down a career-high 30 points at UNC Charlotte – the most points scored by a Cougar in a single game since former CofC standout and Olympian Andrew Lawrence in 2012.
A business administration major at the College, Chealey had a career-best 12-game double-figure scoring streak going toward the end of last season – a stretch where he averaged 14.3 points per game through the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. He also shot a team-best 75.8 percent from the free throw line, which was the 11th-best in the league.
