NEW YORK — Freshman center Sean May, North Carolina's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, will be out 8-to-10 weeks after breaking his foot Friday night in a 65-56 loss to Iona in the Holiday Festival.
The 6-foot-8 May was injured 20 seconds into the second half of the 22nd-ranked Tar Heels' loss at Madison Square Garden.
Team physician Dr. Tim Taft said May broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot and would undergo surgery on Monday.
"I feel bad for Sean," North Carolina coach Matt Doherty said of the son of former Indiana All-American Scott May. "There's a 90-95 percent chance he'll be ready for late February."
May, who had one point and nine rebounds against Iona, entered the game averaging 13.3 points and 8.6 rebounds.
May had been playing on a sore foot and decided not to rest it.
"If we had put him in a cast for six weeks he'd only be 70 percent," Doherty said. "It was no way for him to keep stepping on the court and wonder if it's going to break."
Taft said other North Carolina athletes have come back successfully from the surgery including basketball players J.R. Reid and Brian Bersticker, and Olympic track star Marion Jones.