Hip surgery will sideline Rockford star for 8 months after season ends
Rockford guard Eli Wolfe drives past Northview’s Melo Garcia at the 2K26 Showcase at Grand Rapids Community College on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Eli Wolfe is dreading the offseason.
The Rockford High School sophomore has been playing in pain all season as he’s dealing with torn labrums in both of his hips.
“Not enough people know about what he’s playing through,” Rockford basketball coach Kyle Clough said. “He’s obviously very limited with two torn labrums. It’s painful all the time for him.”
Wolfe looked healthy and athletic during a 48-43 win over Northview on Saturday at Grand Rapids Community College. But behind the scenes it’s a different story.
“It’s very painful,” Wolfe said after the game. “I have to take a lot of Advil before the games. It started happening before the season. I just told myself I’m just gonna get through the season and get surgery after.”
Rockford sophomore Eli Wolfe celebrates with teammates after beating Northview at the 2K26 Showcase at Grand Rapids Community College on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
Wolfe is one of the most talented sophomores in the state. The lanky 6-foot-1, 165-pounder is the starting point guard for the Rams. He has college offers from Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Saginaw Valley State and Central Michigan University.
What is the exact injury?
“I have FAI in my hips, which means I grew an extra bone on my hip, causing my labrum to tear,” Wolfe said of Femoroacetabular impingement, which is a hip impingement. “They already tore awhile ago. I’m getting surgery at the end of the season. It should take about 6-8 months.”
Wolfe’s doctor said he could play if he wants to battle through the pain.
“He is going to have double hip arthroscopy right after season,” said Nick Wolfe, Eli’s dad. “He has condition called FAI and because of it both his hip lambruns are torn. The doctor said he probably can't make it worse so he's playing through the season as long as he can handle pain.”
Rockford is one of the top teams in the state in Division 1 and has a chance to go deep in the postseason. So Wolfe wants to play it out.
“He’s learned how to play differently,” Clough said. “He’s still very effective and still scoring. There’s a little bit of quick twitch that’s missing. He’s one of the quickest guards in the state.”
Wolfe will miss the entire AAU season and won’t be able to start playing for up to eight months after surgery.
“I’ll be in a wheelchair for about the first month,” he said. “Then I’ll be on crutches for another month. I should be able to start playing around the eight-month mark.”
In the meantime, Wolfe will play through the pain.
“He’s a tough kid,” Clough said. “He doesn’t want any reps off practice. He loves this team and he’s riding it out.”
Rockford guard Eli Wolfe (number 5) celebrates after beating Northview 48-43 at the 2K26 Showcase at Grand Rapids Community College on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).