Kameron Rooks, a promising sophomore center for the California Golden Bears, will most likely miss the upcoming college basketball season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. Cal made the announcement on Monday.
Rooks’ absence will make the debut season of new coach Cuonzo Martin that much more difficult. Cal finished last season in the middle of the pack in the Pac-12 standings with a 10-8 record, and made it all the way to the NIT semi-finals before bowing out to SMU. However, the Golden Bears graduated their top scorer and assist man, Justin Cobbs, and starting center Richard Solomon. Rooks’ injury will leave Martin with just one true center on the roster, and with only three players taller than 6-8.
Rooks, who is listed at 7-0, 270 pounds, played in all but two of Cal’s games last year as a Freshman but averaged only 1.3 points in 7 minutes of action per contest. However, Rooks was penciled in as the starting center for the Golden Bears going forward to the 2014-15 season.
"Kameron has worked hard this off season to return from a previous foot injury and it is very unfortunate to have a setback like this," Martin said in a statement released by Cal on Monday. "It is difficult to predict when we can expect him back, but we know he will put in the effort and his coaches and teammates are here to support him every step of the way."
Cal will need all the help it can get in the competitive Pac-12, as Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona State, and Stanford all received bids to the NCAA Tournament last season. Martin comes to Berkeley from Tennessee, and he will take over the Cal program from Mike Montgomery who announced his retirement last March.