“It was one of the toughest choices of my life,” said Zach Pancratz, NIU men’s basketball player.

In his four years as a Huskie, the senior never faced a choice like this.

He could either try and play through the pain and hope for the best, or have surgery to repair a torn labrum. But surgery means missing the 2007-2008 season ­— his senior year.

“All through my high school and college career, I’ve never missed a game due to injury,” he said. “It’s one of the toughest things knowing the seniors are on the court and that I should be out there with them.”

It all started this summer. Pancratz was participating in the Chicago Pro-Am league and noticed the pain in his shoulder was getting worse.

“My shoulder had been popping in and out all summer,” the Schaumburg native said. “I’d go up for a rebound and my shoulder would pop out of place.”

At first, the popping only happened once in a while. It was painful, but Pancratz was able to handle it. However, every time his shoulder popped, the labrum and supporting ligaments became weaker.

Eventually, every other time the forward jumped into the air for a rebound, his shoulder would pop out of place.

According to Johns Hopkins Medical Web site, the labrum is cartilage in the shoulder which helps to form the ball and socket joint, holding the shoulder in place.

Pancratz went to his doctors to seek advice.

“The doctors said I could try to play through it,” the forward said. “If I did, though, they said they couldn’t see me making it through six or seven games.”

Pancratz knew he didn’t want to end his career at NIU because of an injury. So the senior went to new head coach Ricardo Patton to seek a redshirt year.

“I learned about the shoulder surgery on Aug. 6,” Patton said. “After [Pancratz] visited with a couple of doctors, he decided, our trainers decided and I decided it was in his best interest to get his shoulder repaired.”

Although the redshirt allows Pancratz to finish his career as a Huskie in the 2008-2009 season, the decision to have surgery was still difficult.

Finally, three weeks ago, the senior had an operation to repair his shoulder. Pancratz has started rehab, but says it will take anywhere from four to six months to be fully healthy again.

Although the decision has been made, the 22-year-old still thinks about it.

By choosing surgery, Pancratz is missing the court and the interaction with teammates, and delaying his senior season.

But in normal fashion for this Huskie, the injury hasn’t taken him off the team.

“I’m trying not to be just a guy in the stands,” the senior said. “I still want to be around the team. I still want to give advice.”

Despite the setback, Pancratz is still actively involved with the team. He’s up for every 6 a.m. practice.

“I mean, as a friend, it’s good to have Zach around,” forward Ben Rand said. “It’s helpful not only for the younger guys, but for [the older guys] too.”

And while he may not be running on the court, he’s on the sideline with the bike, sweating his heart out, waiting for that moment when he’ll be back on the court.

Waiting for the moment when he’ll get the next rebound and won’t hear a pop.