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BYU’s Collinsworth to have surgery, end career

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Chris Collinsworth’s career at BYU is over.

The school announced in a release that the 6-9 Collinsworth was recently told his injured ankle would require microfracture surgery, which prompted him to announce his retirement from the game.

“I can’t imagine the disappointment that Chris and his family must be feeling at this moment,” BYU head coach Dave Rose said in the statement. “I wish him the very best with this latest setback and hope his ankle can be repaired and heal with a full recovery.”

Collinsworth averaged 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds during his freshman season with the Cougars in 2007-08, but left for a two-year mission for the Church of Latter-day Saints in Russia after the season. The Australia native has been limited to just 11 games over the past two seasons since returning.

“This will be my third-straight year having surgery and all have been pretty serious,” Collinsworth said in the release. “It’s been really hard physically and mentally and it’s time to move on. When the door on one opportunity closes, others open and I’m ready to move on and explore those other options.”

Collinsworth played in nine games two seasons ago, who averaged 5.9 points and 5.6 rebounds in 2010-11 before microfracture surgery on his right knee cost him the rest of the year. Surgery on the same knee in December of last year limited him to only two games in 2011-12. Collinsworth began to feel pain in injured ankle during summer workouts.

This is more a tough break for Collinsworth than for the Cougars front-court. Collinsworth was an experienced player and was going to be one of their stalwarts this season. However, BYU still returns Brandon Davies (15.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg last season) and Matt Carlino (12.2 ppg), and gets five players 6-8 or taller this season on their roster, and Collinsworth hasn’t even played half of a season in the past two. The Cougars will definitely be ok, just a tough break for a player that improved every year he was on the court.

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can follow him on Twitter at @David_Harten.