VU 's Walker out for season with ACL injury

Vanderbilt forward Andre Walker is expected to miss the remainder of the season after an MRI revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

The MRI was done before the team left Thursday for Cancun, Mexico, where it will play the final two games of the Cancun Challenge on Saturday and Sunday.

Walker’s injury further depletes the Commodores (3-1) who also will be without center Festis Ezeli and forward Steve Tchiengang for the next two games.

Ezeli is in Sacramento to attend to personal business.

Tchiengang is completing an NCAA suspension. The ruling and subsequent denial of Vanderbilt’s appeal called for Tchiengang to miss 20 percent of the Commodores’ games, which amounts to 5.3 contests.

Saturday’s game against Drake will be VU’s fifth, and to be safe coaches decided to hold him out for the sixth on Sunday as well.

Walker, a sophomore, initially was diagnosed with a hyper-extended knee. He was injured in the final minutes of Monday’s victory over MTSU.

He averaged 4.7 points and 4.7 rebounds in three appearances, including his first career start, this season.