Cal forward Rytis Petraitis announces season-ending injury
Rytis Petraitis will not take the floor again at Cal this season. The senior, who is now in his second year with the Bears, announced Friday that an injury will sideline him for the rest of the season. Petraitis has been dealing with a lower body injury that required surgery.
The Bears confirmed the surgery and decision Friday afternoon.
“I would like to say thank you to the fans, the coaching staff and my teammates for supporting me both on and off the court. This team is so special and I’m so happy to be a part of it,” Petraitis said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Unfortunately due to an injury, I intend to medically redshirt this season.
“It hurts me to not be out there fighting alongside my teammates, but the goal hasn’t changed. I will be working unbelievably hard to come back better than ever.”
The team did not specify when Petraitis suffered the injury. He scored a season-high 12 points and tied a season-high with seven rebounds against UCLA. That upset win was his last game of the season back on Nov. 25.
In all, the senior played in seven games this season and has missed the last 11. Petraitis averaged 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds before going down with his injury.
Energy will be Cal’s biggest loss without Petraitis
Petraitis did not make any starts through the first seven games, but he was vital off the bench this season. His ability to play contribute on both ends of the floor has always earned praise from Cal head coach Mark Madsen.
The Arlington, Texas native blocked six shots and pulled in four steals during his time on the floor this season. Consistency off the bench has been difficult for the Bears to find as of late.
Cal had just eight points from bench players in Wednesday’s loss to No. 6 Duke. The spark he adds has become one of the biggest assets for Petraitis during his two seasons in Berkeley.
“Rytis brings an unmatched level of energy and effort to every game he plays,” Madsen said in a statement Friday. “He is an invaluable teammate on and off the court. He has an incredible work ethic, so we know he will recover and be back even better than before.”
Petraitis transferred to Cal from Air Force before the 2024-25 season. He was one of only three players who played in all 33 games last season. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward made 29 starts in his first season with the Bears.
He averaged 8.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a junior. Petraitis has not yet used a redshirt season in his career, so he should have a strong case to earn an extra year.
Cal (13-5, 1-4 ACC) has been playing shorthanded for most of the season. Returning guard DeJuan Campbell has played in just eight games. Newcomer Nolan Dorsey has also missed three games already as well. Transfer forward Sammie Yeanay has yet to step on the floor. It is the same for freshman guard Jovani Ruff, who is redshirting this year.
The Bears next take the floor Saturday when they host North Carolina at 1 p.m. at Haas Pavilion.
