Roe undergoes surgery

St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) senior forward Delvon Roe, who's rated the No. 9 boys' basketball player in the Class of 2008 by RISE, underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee yesterday, meaning his high school career is over.

It was originally hoped that Roe was suffering from a meniscus tear, but it turned out to be much more serious. St. Edward head coach Eric Flannery expects Roe's recovery to last approximately six months.

Microfracture surgery is a procedure where doctors drill small holes into the bone to stimulate growth of new cartilage.

Roe injured his knee in the team's season-opening win over Campbell Hall (North Hollywood, Calif.). Despite feeling the pain during pregame warmups, the Michigan State-bound Roe still finished with 18 points, 12 boards, six assists and five blocks.

One of the first NBA stars to have the surgery was Penny Hardaway, whose career was never the same afterward. But recently, players like Jason Kidd and Amare Stoudemire have come back from the operation to have dominant seasons. The No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden, had the surgery this past fall.

Roe, who has signed with Michigan State, is hoping for a speedy recovery. And while he should heal in time to play for the Spartans next fall, this is a devastating blow for Roe, who was looking forward to leading St. Edward to a state title after the team was upset in the state semifinals last year.