Sheppard to miss 2014-15 season

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Shamiek Sheppard, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward from Brooklyn, New York, has torn his ACL and will miss the 2014-15 basketball season, USC announced this afternoon. He will undergo surgery for the torn ligament this week in Columbia.

"We feel awful for Shamiek with his injury," USC coach Frank Martin said in a release. "He has worked so hard to put himself in position to play at South Carolina. We look forward to supporting him through his surgery and rehab this season."

Sheppard averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and two assists per game at Fishburne Military School in Virginia last season.

Sheppard is one of four 2014-15 signees, including 6-foot-9 forward James Thompson, 6-4 shooting guard TeMarcus Blanton and 6-3 point guard guard Marcus Stroman. It is unclear whether Thompson, arrested in June on charges of aggravated battery and domestic assault by battery, will enroll in school or not depending on the outcome of the cases, USC has said.

Martin will meet with media tomorrow (Wednesday) at the Little Gamecocks Camp and will likely discuss both Sheppard and Thompson's separate situations.