Pittsburgh forward John Hugley IV will miss the rest of the season to focus on his mental health and injury rehabilitation, and will seek a redshirt year.

Hugley suffered a knee injury in the preseason and missed three of the first four games of the season before suiting up for seven straight games into early December. He hasn’t played in the last month due to personal reasons, with coach Jeff Capel saying last month his absence was not related to either academics nor an injury.

The 6-foot-9 power forward from Cleveland released a statement on Saturday morning.

“I want nothing more than to be on the court with my teammates,” Hugley wrote on Twitter. “However, due to an injury and my mental health being a priority, after long discussions and talks with my coaches, family and mentors I have decided the best course of action will be for me to sit out the remainder of the season to fully invest in healing mentally as well as physically.”

In an announcement from the school, Capel said Hugley should be commended for coming to this decision.

“We are here to support John as he continues to learn to manage challenges in his personal life,” Capel said. “John has worked hard to get to this point and should be applauded for seeking out the help to continue to grow as a young man. This next step will allow him the time and space to focus on his personal growth. We are here to provide love and support for him on this journey that will undoubtedly help him throughout his life.”

Hugley was one of the best big men in the ACC last season, averaging 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds en route to earning honorable mention All-ACC honors. In eight games this season, despite limited minutes, he averaged 8.0 points and 3.6 rebounds.