Pocius will undergo season-ending surgery

Junior guard Marty Pocius has decided to have season-ending surgery on his left ankle.

Pocius, who initially injured the ankle playing over the summer in his native Lithuania, reaggravated his injury while fighting for a rebound in Duke's 78-43 victory over Eastern Kentucky Nov. 25.

The surgery will not be performed until early January so that the swelling in Pocius' ankle can be go down prior to the operation.

"We are 100 percent behind Marty," head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "This is a tough break for him and for the whole team. He worked extremely hard over the summer to be ready for this season and was making a steady contribution to the team. His presence in practice and in games will be missed."

Pocius had a similar operation at the end of last season on his right ankle. Doctors expect him to make a full recovery for next season.

Pocius had averaged four points and 2.5 rebounds in eight minutes per game in the first four contests of the season. The 6-foot-4 guard had struggled with the bum ankle even before the Eastern Kentucky game, and he was stuck behind several wing players in the rotation.

The junior had received sporadic playing time in his first two seasons, averaging 1.7 points in 6.6 minutes per game. Pocius had a career-high 14 points off the bench in the Blue Devils' overtime loss to N.C. State in the first round of the ACC Tournament last season.