By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Thomas Walkup has been ruled out of the game between Olympiacos and Anadolu Efes in the Peace and Friendship Stadium, SEF, on Friday.
The Stephen F. Austin product has been sidelined with back pain since Round 15 of the 2024-25 Stoiximan GBL Regular Season and a meeting with archrival Panathinaikos Aktor on February 20. After previously sitting out a two-game week of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season, he is now set to miss a fourth straight continental outing for the team coached by Giorgos Bartzokas, heading to the Round 24 fixture opposite Efes.
Before being forced to the sidelines, Walkup tallied 4.6 points, 4.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.2 blocks per EuroLeague game over 20 appearances, including 19 starts. In 13 games of Greece’s domestic league, he added 3.5 points, 4.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.1 blocks per contest.
Among other players on the injury list, Moses Wright (illness) has been ruled out for the rest of the season and Keenan Evans (knee) has yet to be cleared to debut with the Reds. In contrast, Moustapha Fall (finger), Shaquielle McKissic (illness), Sasha Vezenkov (knee), and Luca Vildoza (abdomen) recovered and are returning to action.
At 16-7, Olympiacos leads the EuroLeague standings, half a game over second-placed Fenerbahce Beko with 11 fixtures remaining in the 34-game schedule of the Regular Season. The top six seeds will advance directly to the 2025 Playoffs, while the next four will compete in the Play-In Showdown.