Siena men's basketball point guard Rakeem Brookins will miss the 2011-12 season as he recovers from herniated and bulging disks in his back. The sophomore from Pennsylvania originally broke the news through his Twitter account, and was eventually verified by the Siena Athletic Department.

The orthopedic surgeons at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have diagnosed Brookins with a bulging disk at L3-L4, and a herniated disk at L4-L5. Based on the estimated recovery time for those injuries, it was determined that Brookins would not be able to participate in basketball related activities this season.

Brookins will remain home in Philadelphia for the remainder of the semester where he continues to undergo physical therapy, and focus on his academic pursuits. He plans on returning to Siena in January, and taking a full academic course load in the spring semester as he continues his recovery.

“It’s obviously disappointing news, but our focus is on Rahk returning to full health and enjoying a successful Siena career on and off the court,” head coach Mitch Buonaguro said. “He has the complete support of our coaching staff, his teammates, and all of the great support services available to him as a Siena student athlete.”

Brookins appeared in 28 games as a freshman in 2010-11, making 25 starts at point guard. He averaged nine points and 4.3 assists per game as a freshman, and was the projected starter at the point again this year.

Report is courtesy of Jason Rich, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications for the Siena College Athletic Department.

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