Columbia, Mo. ? Freshman forward Linas Kleiza, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing season for Missouri, will have surgery on his dislocated right shoulder and miss the rest of the season, coach Quin Snyder said Thursday.

Kleiza, a 6-foot-8 native of Lithuania, injured the shoulder Jan. 28 with about 45 seconds to play in Missouri’s 83-70 loss at Colorado, and he has not played since. The Tigers are 2-2 in his absence.

“We have met with Linas’ family and our medical staff here at Mizzou and we believe that the severity of the injury would have reduced his effectiveness on the court, making immediate surgery necessary,” Snyder said. “We feel that this is the best option for Linas’ career and his eventual contribution to our program.

“We will miss his intensity, but I know we will continue to battle and stay together.”

Snyder said surgery will take place in the next two weeks, and it will take three to four months for Kleiza to recover.

Kleiza was fourth on the team with 11.1 points per game and averaged a team-high 8.4 rebounds. The Tigers, ranked as high as third early in the season, are just 10-10 (5-5 Big 12) and struggling to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Kleiza was named Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week twice.

Kleiza had been regarded by many experts as the nation’s top undecided high school prospect before agreeing to play at Missouri in May. Tiger fans had set up a “Kleiza Watch” ticker on the Internet, tracking whether Kleiza had committed.

Kleiza came from Lithuana to play prep basketball at Montrose Christian High School in Rockville, Md., where he averaged 20.5 points and 12.2 rebounds last season.

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