Pittsburgh guard Josh Newkirk out 4-6 months after knee surgery

Pittsburgh sophomore guard Josh Newkirk underwent left knee surgery on Wednesday and is expected to be out for four-to-six months, according to The Associated Press.

The long end of that timetable could see Newkirk out of action until December, but coach Jamie Dixon is optimistic his guard will be healed by the time practices start up in the fall. The surgery repaired a torn lateral meniscus and a microfracture in the knee.

Newkirk regressed in his sophomore campaign, averaging 5.9 points and 2.7 assists while seeing his shooting percentages plummet. After shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from 3-point range as a freshman, he shot just 37.7 and 30.1 percent, respectively, in 2014-15. 

The Panthers went 19-15 and missed the NCAA tournament for just the second time in Dixon's 12-year tenure.