Virginia Tech forward J.T. Thompson, who sat out last season with a torn ACL in his left knee, has now torn the ACL in his right knee and will miss his second straight year, the school announced Thursday.
The 21-year-old senior was injured Wednesday in practice and is set to undergo surgery to repair the damage.
"I'm deeply disappointed for JT," Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said. "To think of all he has been through, it's disheartening that bad things happen to good people. Our main focus right now is his health and preparing him for his graduation this December.
"My heart goes out to JT. He has been a model student-athlete, despite all the obstacles that he has faced. He was back to playing at or above the level we had expected of him following last season's surgery."
Thompson averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds as the team's sixth man in 2009-10. He suffered the first torn ACL in a pickup game before last season, and was able to secure a medical redshirt from the NCAA to come back for a fifth year.
Greenberg said "now is not the time" to talk about the possibility of Thompson seeking a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA.
The situation is reminiscent of Purdue forward Robbie Hummel, who tore the ACL in his right knee in February 2010, then sustained the same season-ending injury in practice last October. He is set to return this season as a senior after being granted a medical redshirt.
