Duquesne F Peggau to undergo knee surgery, out for season

Dec 5, 2008 - 10:57 PM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- Duquesne freshman Rodrigo Peggau is going under the knife again.

The team announced Friday that the 6-8, 230-pound forward will undergo season-ending surgery on his injured right knee, the third such operation for Peggau within the last year.

He missed the entire 2007-08 season at The Patterson School - a prep school in Lenoir, North Carolina - with a torn meniscus in the same knee and underwent surgeries in both May and September.

The 20-year-old Brazilian played in four of the Dukes' first six games this campaign, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds. His best performance was an eight-point, seven-rebound effort on November 23 against Furman. However, he did not suit up for Wednesday's showdown with No. 3 Pittsburgh.

"Coming into the season, we didn't really know how Rodrigo's knee would respond," Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said. "He is an extremely tough kid who tried to play, but the swelling in the knee did not allow him to physically do that. I'm looking forward to a successful surgery and healthy recovery. Rodrigo is one of the hardest-working guys on the team, and I'm confident he will come back from this injury and continue to be an important part of our program."

The team said Peggau will apply for a medical hardship waiver through the Atlantic 10 Conference which, if granted, would give him four full years of eligibility beginning next season.