Senior center B.J. Ajayi will miss the rest of the season after partially tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during practice Thursday.

Ajayi, who has averaged 6.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in Big East play, will undergo surgery to repair the tear and will not play again in USF's remaining 12 regular-season games. His absence leaves the Bulls dangerously thin in the frontcourt, with just freshmen Gus Gilchrist and Eladio Espinosa, senior Aris Williams and junior Alex RIvas Sanchez available for two spots in the lineup. Rivas Sanchez had totaled just six minutes in the last three games and did not play Tuesday against DePaul.

Ajayi, who started 12 games but came off the bench in Tuesday's win against DePaul, is averaging 3.7 points and 4.7 rebounds on the season. He set a career high with 15 points in USF's home loss to Syracuse three weeks ago.

This is the second season-ending injury the Bulls have suffered in the past month -- guard Mike Mercer was lost for the year to a torn ACL in his knee after playing just four games in December.

Senior guard Jesus Verdejo, who missed Tuesday's game recovering from a concussion Saturday in USF's loss at West Virginia, returned to practice Thursday and is expected to play Saturday against Villanova. Verdejo is missing a front tooth from when he landed on a West Virginia player, causing the concussion.

-- Baseball news: We have a second 2010 baseball commitment to report in as many days, as Alonso junior left-handed pitcher Thomas Dorminy has told the Times' Eduardo Encina he'll play for Lelo Prado's Bulls.