NIU’s women’s basketball team will be praying for more rebounds at the Thanksgiving table because Angela Lockett, last year’s rebounding queen, is officially out for the season following reconstructive surgery on her left knee.

Lockett, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament this past summer, underwent surgery last Thursday at Rockford Memorial Hospital.

NIU assistant athletic trainer Andrea Asselta, who will assist Lockett in the rehabilitation of her knee, said Lockett has already begun her rehab but they will not rush the process.

“The fastest anyone has ever rehabbed (from an ACL injury) is four to five months,” Asselta said. “But (Lockett’s) going to have classes to go to, so she’s going to spend a long time on rehab.”

“We anticipate 100 percent recovery (for Lockett) for the 1993-94 season,” said NIU head coach Jane Albright-Dieterle.

Lockett said she won’t be limited at all when she plays again and the proof of that can be found in NIU’s past.

“I look at (NIU graduates) Lisa Foss and Carol Owens. They both had this (injury) and they came back to be Honorable Mention All-Americas,” Lockett said.

Lockett also said she is feeling better now that the surgery is done, and she is going to use the time away from basketball to accomplish some goals.

“I want to get all my harder classes out of the way,” Lockett said. “And I want to get my body into shape so I can play even better when I come back.”