MADISON, Wis. — University of Wisconsin forward Duje Dukan announced on Sunday that he would take a redshirt season in 2012-13 for the men's basketball program, citing lingering effects of having mononucleosis during the fall.
Dukan, a junior, played 13 minutes during Wisconsin's 96-44 exhibition victory against UW-Oshkosh on Wednesday night. He made 1 of 3 shots from the field and tallied two points and three rebounds.
"I missed most of the month of September, and I felt like I could definitely contribute, but the recovery process has lasted longer than I expected," Dukan said in a press release. "I feel like I'd be playing catch-up the whole season, and I didn't want to waste a year. I can instead use this season for development and to get stronger and help my teammates reach our goals this season."
Dukan, a 6-foot-8, 210-pounder from Deerfield, Ill., likely wouldn't have seen many minutes this season in the Badgers' frontcourt. Ryan Evans, Jared Berggren and Frank Kaminsky started during Wisconsin's season opener against Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday. Forward Mike Bruesewitz is expected to return to the starting lineup in place of Kaminsky within the next two weeks after sustaining a lacerated right leg during practice Oct. 9.
Any other minutes in the frontcourt figure to belong to freshman Sam Dekker and redshirt junior Zach Bohannon, whose scrappiness will make it difficult for him to stay off the floor. Bohannon registered seven points and eight rebounds -- including a game-high six offensive boards -- in just 15 minutes against UW-Oshkosh.
During his two-year career at Wisconsin, Dukan has appeared in 21 games. He played in 13 contests last season and scored a total of nine points with seven rebounds. He will continue to practice with the Badgers this season and will play as a redshirt junior in 2013-14.
As a high school senior at Deerfield, Dukan averaged 23 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists to earn first-team all-state honors by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association.
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