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PROVO — Jake Toolson is taking a medical leave of absence from the BYU men's basketball team, head coach Dave Rose announced Monday as the team arrived in Hawaii ahead of the Diamond Head Classic opener against Harvard.
The coach declined to mention the specific nature of Toolson's medical situation.
The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Gilbert, Arizona, began the season as a starter before freshman Nick Emery moved into the starting five after the third game of the season. But he thrived in his substitute role, scoring a season-high seven points in 18 minutes off the bench in a 73-68 win over Weber State on Dec. 5.
Since that performance, Toolson's minutes and production have declined. He played just four minutes Dec. 12 at Colorado and scored just two points on 1-of-2 shooting Friday against Central Michigan.
For the season, Toolson is shooting 45 percent from the field, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 rebounds while playing in all 10 games with five starts.
No timetable was set for Toolson's return to play and he did not travel with the squad to Hawaii. His absence will likely mean extended playing time for freshman Zac Seljaas, who had a career-high 25 points against the Chippewas, draining 7 of 9 3-pointers en route to shooting 9-of-13 from the field in 30 minutes of the 98-85 win.
Seljaas is averaging 7.0 points and 1.6 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game just a year after leading Bountiful High to the Class 4A state title. But he's played double-digit minutes in three of the past four games, including 52 total minutes against Colorado and Central Michigan.
Rose also confirmed after Monday's practice that forward Jamal Aytes could potentially return this week. The UNLV transfer has struggled with ankle and lower extremity injuries, but has been given the green light by Rose and the athletic training staff to return to play.
"I could play zero minutes or I could play 40. I do not care," Aytes told KSL's Greg Wrubell. "Just as long as we get the win."
Contributing: Greg Wrubell
