Mike Copeland, a rising senior forward on the North Carolina men's basketball team, injured his right knee in a pickup basketball game
last week and will need surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament, the school announced Thursday.

The surgery will take place in early June once the swelling goes down. Athletics trainer Marc Davis said that recovery from this type of injury
typically takes six to eight months.

Copeland, a native of Winston-Salem, played in 25 games last season, scoring 30 points and grabbing 16 rebounds.

The injury hurts the depth of a UNC program that is waiting to see if Danny Green, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington decide to remain in the NBA Draft. UNC does have three top recruits coming in, including 7-foot Tyler Zeller and 6-8 Ed Davis.