Saint Joseph's sophomore forward Pierfrancesco Oliva will miss the 2016-17 basketball season after having knee surgery, it was announced by head coach Phil Martelli .

Oliva had surgery in late June to repair an osteochondral defect in his right knee, a chronic condition that was aggravated in post-season workouts.

After post-surgery evaluation throughout the summer, it was determined that he will need close to a year of rehabilitation.

"We're obviously disappointed for Checco, but he has the best in terms of medical care and rehab. His teammates and coaches will keep their arms wrapped around him as he goes through the day-to-day grind of not just getting back, but getting better. I anticipate that as we go on we'll see a much better Checco," said Martelli.

The 6-8 forward from Taranto, Italy, was a starter in 30 games for the 2016 Atlantic 10 Champion Hawks. He averaged 4.0 points and 3.7 rebounds while scoring double figures twice.