Senior forward Mike Scott will sit out the rest of the season to undergo a second ankle surgery. Scott had undergone arthroscopic surgery earlier this season in an attempt to avoid this second, more aggressive surgery, and although he had a quick recovery, he has since had a number of episodes where things just locked back up on him.
This second surgery is for additional cartilage work and to get impinging bone spurs removed. Head coach Tony Bennett said this afternoon that he is expected to heal within three to four months.
"We were hoping maybe the [initial] surgery would help quiet it down and feel good and for him to be able to play long-range, that wasn't the case," Bennett said.
In ten games played, Scott had averaged 15.9 points per game and 10.2 rebounds per game. Earlier this season, he became the first player since Ralph Sampson to put up five consecutive double-doubles, just before he missed the next six of seven games.
"It's tough news with Mike," Bennett said. "We feel like he was really playing well and having a good year and things were rounding into shape. But the flip side of it is, if this can help him be really healthy and if everything goes as hopefully planned, to have the potential of having him be with us next year is a positive and you have to look at it that way. In the meantime, we're trying to get as good as we can and try to develop."
Bennett confirmed that, "absolutely," they will file the necessary paperwork to request a medical redshirt.
In the meantime, Bennett also confirmed that they will keep the redshirt on James Johnson, a top 100 recruit by both Scout.com and ESPNU and a McDonald's All-American nominee last year.