Freshman guard Andrew Garcia of the Stony Brook men’s basketball team has undergone a season-ending surgery on his left knee, according to Stony Brook Athletics. He injured his knee during his senior year of high school and sat out most of the season.

“I am very disappointed for Andrew,” head coach Jeff Boals said in a news release. “He worked very hard on his rehab this summer, and based on his performance throughout the preseason he would have been a major contributor this year. Short term it is a disappointing situation, but for the long term his health and wellness are the priority. We look forward to getting him back and healthy for the 2017-18 season.”

Garcia did not see any playing time in the season-opening loss against Columbia. Boals elected to play redshirt junior Roland Nyama, junior Bryan Sekunda, redshirt freshman Akwasi Yeboah and senior Kam Mitchell on the wing over the freshman during the loss.

As a junior at Connecticut’s Master’s School, Garcia averaged 18 points per game and grabbed seven rebounds per game. He was the No. 15 ranked prospect in Connecticut. The Master’s School went 18-11 in the 2015-16 season. 

“Andrew’s coaches and teammates call him ‘Buckets’ and I can see why,” former Stony Brook head coach Steve Pikiell said in a news release on Nov. 15, 2015. “He’s going to score and score a lot for our program. He has the ability to elevate his game as he did for the Dominican Republic in the Nike Global Challenge. He has the ability to take over a game with his offensive and defensive prowess.”

Although he is missing his freshman year, Garcia will still have four years of eligibility left, as allowed by the NCAA redshirt policy.