Trevor Mbakwe will miss the rest of the 2011-12 season after tearing his right ACL in the Minnesota Gophers’ 86-70 loss to Dayton on Sunday.

An MRI scan Monday confirmed the injury, which caused Mbakwe to have to be assisted off the court after an awkward landing in the second half.

“My family and I would like to thank everyone for their support,” Mbakwe said in a release Monday.

A Preseason All-Big Ten First Team honoree, Mbakwe was the Gophers’ leading scorer (14.0 points per game) and rebounder (9.1 rebounds) through seven games in 2011-12. He also led the team with 13.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in 2010-11.

“You hurt for him, but you know he’s a guy that has the will power and has been through it before and can recover again,” Minnesota head coach Tubby Smith said in the release. “We are certainly going to miss him. He’s having a great year. He’s been a big emotional leader for us. Our players look up to Trevor, not just because of his talent, but because of his work ethic, and the type of person he’s been.”

Mbakwe suffered a left-knee sprain in his 2007-08 season at Marquette that caused him to miss the season’s first 23 games.