St. John’s Mason Jr. Out for the Year

St. John’s received some harsh news just three games into its season.

Senior swingman Anthony Mason Jr. will miss the rest of the year because he must undergo surgery to repair a torn peroneal tendon in his right foot.

“We are all disappointed and feel for Anthony,” St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts said. “This is an unfortunate situation, but it is part of the game. We believe that Mase will come back from this, a stronger player and a stronger person.”

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound Mason Jr. suffered the injury during this week’s NIT Season Tip-Off and a MRI and ultrasound of the foot on Friday afternoon revealed the extent of the injury. Dr. John Kennedy of the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan performed the examination on Friday. Last Tuesday Mason Jr. had received a MRI and ultrasound examination, both of which did not indicate a tear in the tendon.

Kennedy, who performed surgery on Mason Jr.’s left ankle in April 2008, will perform the corrective surgery on Mason Jr.’s foot, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 1, but it may be pushed back until after St. John’s fall semester final exams. Rehabilitation from the surgery is expected to last approximately three months.

“I am obviously disappointed, but I am going to make the best of this situation,” Mason Jr. said. “I am going to look into getting my year back, and use the time to rehab and work on my game. I’ll be with my teammates every step of the way this season, watch as our chemistry develops and have a good year, and look forward to an even better year next year.”

Sophomore guard Paris Horne and freshman guard Quincy Roberts are expected to get most of Mason’s minutes, Roberts said.

Mason missed eight games last year with a high ankle sprain and averaged 14.4 points and 4.4 rebounds to make honorable mention All-Big East.