Rapolas Ivanauskas to miss 2016-17 season

EVANSTON -- Northwestern will have to wait another year for the anticipated debut of freshman forward Rapolas Ivanauskas.

The program announced Monday that the 6-foot-9 newcomer will undergo shoulder surgery, missing the 2016-17 season. It is expected that he will take a redshirt.

"We're disappointed for Rapolas as he's worked extremely hard this summer alongside his teammates," Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said in a statement Monday. "I know that he will attack his rehab with the same attitude and energy that he has on the court.”

Collins added that he expects Ivanauskas to recover fully in four-to-six months.

Ivanauskas, a four-star recruit, came to Northwestern ranked the no. 89 recruit in the nation by Rivals. He spent his senior year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire after playing his first three at nearby Barrington High School in Illinois.

Though just a freshman, Ivanauskas was expected to bring length and athleticism to a frontline needing depth.

Last October, Vic Law underwent shoulder surgery, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2015-16 season. He is now at full strength.