Freshman forward Manny Patterson recently had shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for approximately four to six months, according to Scott Venci of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Patterson – who was enjoying a solid stretch of basketball – suffered the injury just seconds after the opening tip on a rebound attempt in Green Bay’s 68-64 loss to Wright State back on February 8^th.

After a slow start to the season – he averaged 5.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game through the first 17 games of the season – Patterson’s production increased significantly thanks to better shot selection as well as being a more efficient scorer around the basket. Through the first 17 games of the season he was shooting just 40.3% from the floor.

Photo via Terri Wagner / Green Bay Athletics

But over his final nine games of the season, Patterson shot 57.1% from the floor and doubled his contributions to 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.

He also finished the season 10^th in the Horizon League with 22 blocks and ranked in the top ten in rebound percentage, an estimate of the percentage of available rebounds a player grabbed while he was on the floor.

The four to six month recovery timeline means Patterson should be healed and ready to go for his sophomore season next fall.  As Venci points out, it also means he will miss out on prime summer workouts that are crucial to a player’s development. Green Bay was one of the worst rebounding teams in the Horizon League this season with a rebound margin of -2.5 and will need Patterson’s rebounding ability even more next season with the departure of the team’s best rebounder Khalil Small.

The Phoenix have also extended scholarship offers to several JUCO big men hoping to gain some more size and provide Patterson with some interior help.  Green Bay loses 6’8” forward David Jesperson but will basically have a like-for-like replacement in 6’8” San Jose State transfer Cody Schwartz next season.

Patterson appeared in 27 games for Green Bay this season, including 19 starts, and averaged 6.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 17.0 minutes per game.