Hip injury leaves Jordan Bohannon's 2019-20 season in jeopardy

Jordan Bohannon has been playing through pain for two years. He doesn’t want to do it again.

Iowa’s all-time 3-point leader told the Des Moines Register on Tuesday that he’s bracing for the possibility that he’ll miss the entire 2019-20 basketball season while recovering from hip surgery.

Bohannon’s operation to shave bone off of his right hip and repair a labral tear is scheduled for 7 a.m. Wednesday at the University of Iowa.

The timetable for recovery, he’s been told, is between five and nine months. Bohannon said if he’s not ready by the exhibition season (late October/early November), he’ll probably opt to redshirt and return as a fifth-year senior in 2020-21.

“I want a shot at playing, but I’ve been hurt so much these past couple years, I just want to take some time and get my body right,” Bohannon said. “Especially having just one year left, I want to make sure I’m 100% going into the season for once.”

Bohannon played through painful plantar fasciitis in his foot throughout his sophomore season.

His hip began bothering him even before his junior season began. Bohannon was initially injured in practice ahead of Iowa’s exhibition opener. The 6-foot-1 guard from Marion played in all 35 games of Iowa’s 23-12 campaign, recording a number of heroic moments along the way to help the Hawkeyes earn their first NCAA Tournament trip in three seasons.

As the season wore on, the hip pain increased. Bohannon would get pregame injections to help him get through the games. Trainer Brad Floy could be seen working on Bohannon's hip during breaks in the action.

“I try not to show much pain or emotion,” Bohannon said. “But it was tough last year.”

He got a cortisone shot after Iowa’s season-ending loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament. But once that wore off, the hip didn’t feel any better.

Bohannon consulted with the team’s medical staff and even got a second opinion from the medical team with the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks. He considered trying to treat the injury and play through it, but finally opted for surgery.

"I actually kind of wanted to wait it out," Bohannon said. "I didn’t want to have surgery and see how far I could go, to get through the offseason."

If Bohannon can't play this season, that'll leave a big void in the Hawkeyes' roster.

He ranks No. 1 in Iowa history with 264 3-pointers and is a career 41.1% shooter from long range. He's No. 7 all-time in assists, with 471, and No. 22 in points, with 1,222. He's led the Hawkeyes in minutes in each of the past three seasons. He's largely been the heart and soul of the team since his arrival before the 2016-17 season, and he's proven to be one of the most clutch players in school history.

There was uncertainty in Bohannon's voice about his immediate future. He wants to play a full season with his teammates, not a partial one.

He's never had surgery, so he wasn't sure what to expect with his recovery.

“I’m thinking the worst," Bohannon said, "that I’ll probably have to redshirt.

"That’s what hurts with my decision, because I knew how good we were going to be this year. I wanted to be a part of that, especially the offseason. But I know my health needs to take priority for once. I need to make my body right and try to take care of myself for once. My body’s been so bad the last few years.”