Akita Northern Happinets guard Akitomo Takeno will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in last Saturday's game against the Shinshu Brave Warriors, the bj-league team announced on Friday.
His recovery time is estimated to be 10 to 12 months.
In Takeno's absence, 34-year-old Ryosuke Mizumachi will likely see increased playing time in the backcourt.
The 29-year-old Takeno averaged 9.7 points and 4.3 assists (tied for fourth in the league with teammate Richard Roby) in 35 games. His 93.0 free-throw shooting percentage is tops in the 22-team circuit. This season, the Fukuoka native handed out 151 assists against 64 turnovers.
The veteran floor leader joined the title-contending Happinets in the offseason after spending the past four seasons with the Rizing Fukuoka.
Akita (30-8) is in second place in the 12-team Eastern Conference.