Georgia Tech guard Josh Okogie will play for the Yellow Jackets in their Sunday afternoon matchup against Florida A&M. It will be his season debut after serving a six-game NCAA suspension for receiving impermissible benefits and then recovering from the dislocation of his finger and a subsequent infection of the same left index finger.
Coach Josh Pastner confirmed the season debut of the sophomore in a text message.
The return of Okogie, Tech's leading scorer and an ACC all-freshman team selection last season, is a big lift for the Jackets, who have struggled without his experience and scoring punch. Tech has had difficulties procuring consistent play out of the guard spot without him.
Pastner made clear Friday that he expects Okogie to start and play starter minutes when he comes back, although Okogie had not been able to do any conditioning work for several weeks until he was cleared Wednesday out of concern for infecting the open wound in his finger caused by the dislocation.
Okogie’s return is a bit of good timing for Tech in a season rife with injuries. Freshman guard Curtis Haywood, who has started seven of Tech’s eight games in Okogie’s place, will not play with a shin injury.
