I was watching the #25 Kentucky Wildcats play against the #7 Florida Gators tonight and something horrible happened in the second half.

Kentucky freshman center Nerlens Noel injured his knee when blocking a shot by Florida’s Mike Rosario. Noel had to catch up to Rosario, who was on a fast break. He was going at top speed and couldn’t stop correctly. Noel’s left knee buckled and rammed into the padded post under the basket.

The sound Noel made when he grabbed his knee was heartbreaking. His Kentucky teammates helped carry Noel off the court.

That play will end up being Noel’s last this season and possibly his last play of his college career. He tore his ACL in his left knee.

Noel is projected to be a possible first overall pick if he entered the 2013 NBA Draft. It’s hard to say what impact, if any, this injury will have if he leaves college or if he will be drafted early.

I posted a video of the accident below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFsUXzSYh9w

Florida center Patric Young commented after the game about Noel’s injury. He told reporters, “”His leg was wobbly, knee looked dislocated. It was gruesome. I don’t want to think about it.”

Kentucky released a statement after the game that Noel had some tests run on him and will return to Lexington with the team on Tuesday. They didn’t make a statement on the extent of his injury at that time.

We wish Nerlens Noel a speedy recovery and for him to come back even more dominate.

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