MKRob Sports

Jayne Appel, Stanford’s All-America center, has been forced to withdraw from USA Basketball’s World University Games team camp because of recent arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus in her left knee.

The surgery is almost identical to one she had on the same knee in September, but coach Tara VanDerveer said she expects the 6-foot-4 Appel, who’ll be a senior in the fall, to be ready for the team’s three-game exhibition tour of Italy in September.

“Some people will come back in 10 days from a ’scope, and some take three weeks,” VanDerveer said. “It’s good timing for her to get it done and get rested over the summer. She expects to play a year of college and go right into the WNBA.

“It’s not reconstructive surgery, but a cleanup. We obviously hope it was successful and won’t impact her in any negative way.”

The 2009 Pac-10 Player of the Year averaged 16.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting 60.2 percent from the field, leading the Cardinal to the Final Four for the second consecutive year.

Two other Stanford players, Kayla Pedersen and Jeanette Pohlen, and Cal’s Alexis Gray-Lawson will be among the 15 players trying for 12 roster spots at the U.S. camp, which starts Thursday. The World University Games run July 1 to 11 in Belgrade, Serbia.