Mehdy Ngouama joins ASVEL as medical replacement
Oct 5, 2025
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve
ASVEL loses key player for a month!
Betclic ELITE - After suffering a thigh injury against Vitoria, Shaquille Harrison will miss at least a month of competition. The American guard from ASVEL, a pillar of the Villeurbanne team, leaves a big void in Pierric Poupet's plans.
Photo Credit : Infinity Nine Media
ASVEL didn’t have to wait long before seeing injuries pile up. Already without Thomas Heurtel, the Villeurbanne team must now also deal with the absence of Shaquille Harrison (1.93 m, 32 years). The American guard/point guard, who injured his thigh last Friday against Vitoria, will be out at least until November according to Le Progrès. This is bad news for Pierric Poupet, as the season has just begun.
A season start abruptly halted for Harrison
After an excellent start to the season following his impressive playoffs (13.3 points and 2.4 assists for a 14.6 efficiency rating), Shaquille Harrison had quickly established himself as ASVEL’s defensive and athletic engine. On Friday at the Décines Arena against Vitoria, he had recorded 7 points, 3 rebounds and an efficiency rating of 10 in just 15 minutes before leaving the court with a hamstring muscle injury.
This setback comes at a bad time for the player, who celebrated his 32nd birthday this Sunday, October 6, and for a club already weakened in the backcourt.
Ngouama as reinforcement, Poupet forced to adapt
To compensate for this absence and that of Heurtel, ASVEL quickly called upon Mehdy Ngouama (1.88 m, 30 years), who arrived as a medical replacement. The Parisian, who played for Bourg, Le Mans and Gran Canaria in 2024-2025, will thus discover EuroLeague. This reinforcement will be welcome for a group lacking rotation in the backcourt.
Pierric Poupet will now have to manage without three of his main guards – Harrison, Heurtel and De Colo – during a busy schedule. ASVEL will travel Thursday to face Real Madrid (where Théo Maledon is also injured), before returning to Betclic ELITE action Saturday against Le Mans at Astroballe.
A month to hold without their defensive leader
Twice named G-League Defensive Player of the Year, Shaquille Harrison had played 74 of 75 games in the 2024-2025 season, embodying the reliability of the Rhône team. His absence, estimated at around ten games, will be a real test for the team’s depth and resilience.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Commentaires