The Virginia men's basketball team confirmed yesterday that redshirt sophomore Majestic Mapp will miss the 2001-02 season because of knee surgery that he will undergo later this month.
Mapp, who missed last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, was going to start as point guard for the Cavaliers this season. Junior Roger Mason Jr. and freshmen Keith Jenifer and Jermaine Harper will likely fill in at the point guard spot, according to a press release.
According to coach Pete Gillen, Mapp had the choice whether or not to have surgery this season.
"He made the decision to have the operation now so he would have time to rehabilitate before next season," Gillen said in the press release.
Virginia's backcourt, with the exception of Mason, will be very inexperienced without Mapp. Mason is the only guard who has started a college game. Both Jenifer and Harper have never played at the college level.
Although Mason has had some experience at point guard, Gillen prefers to use him in the second guard spot.
Playing in the ACC will not be easy for Virginia's inexperienced guards. They will have to match up against nationally acclaimed players, such as Maryland junior point guard Steve Blake and senior guard Juan Dixon.
One way the Cavaliers could minimize inexperience on the court would be by putting a big lineup on the floor. Senior forward Adam Hall would move to the second guard spot, Chris Williams, J.C. Mathis and Travis Watson would play in the frontcourt, and Mason would be on the court at point guard.
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At 6-foot-2, 183 pounds, Mapp would have brought excellent court vision and passing skills to the Cavaliers. He was going to fill the role vacated by Donald Hand, who graduated, at point guard. Mapp finished second on the team in assists his freshman year, the only year he has played, with 69.
Mapp's teammates and coaches have shown both sympathy for Mapp and confidence in their chances this season. When faced with the possibility that Mapp would sit out this season, Mason emphasized that Virginia would persevere.
"Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches," Mason said in September. "If he's not available this upcoming season, then I'll have to [play point guard] and that's something I'm comfortable with doing. A lot of times you don't expect anything, but you'll have to deal with it and move forward. Whatever happens, I'm sure we'll be fine."
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