Sep 17, 2007, 23:33 GMT
Tuscaloosa, AL - University of Alabama point guard Ronald Steele has decided to take a medical redshirt and miss the 2007-08 basketball season, it was announced Monday.
Steele, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior from Birmingham, underwent arthroscopic surgeries on both his knees on April 3, and then a follow-up procedure on the left knee August 23.
'I am someone who tries to approach whatever I do with my best effort, and I know my body,' Steele said at a press conference Monday. 'At this point in time I don't believe I will be 100 percent by the start of practice. This is something I've put a lot of thought and prayer into. I want to play my best and play an entire season and know I've done everything I can on the court to help Alabama win.'
Steele followed up a first year in which he earned All-SEC Freshman honors with a stellar sophomore season in 2005-06, when he averaged 14.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. But injuries limited the preseason All- American to 25 games as a junior, and Alabama stumbled to an underachieving 20-12 record and missed the NCAA Tournament.
Now a senior, Steele plans to graduate early in December and start taking classes toward a second degree, then rejoin head coach Mark Gottfried's team as a fifth-year senior for the 2008-09 season.
'Ron and I have discussed this a few times and because he feels he won't be at 100 percent this year, I completely support him and this decision,' said Gottfried. 'I have said many times I will not put him on the floor prior to being 100 percent, and it is my hope that Ron will return next season even better than before.'
© 2007 The Sports Network
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