Noel lost for season with torn ACL

University of Kentucky men’s basketball freshman Nerlens Noel will be out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL injury suffered during Tuesday night’s game at Florida.

According to the UK medical staff, surgery should be expected in the next two to three weeks. The normal timetable for recovery is estimated at six to eight months.

“I’ve been coaching for 22 years and this is the first injury we’ve had of this kind during the season, which makes it even more devastating,” John Calipari said via his web site. “I met with Nerlens earlier today. The meeting was really positive, and I loved his attitude. The way he is already dealing with this injury lets me know that he is going to come back stronger than ever. “

The 6-foot-10 freshman was leading the nation in blocks (106) and blocks per game (4.4) and ranked second in the Southeastern Conference in rebounding (9.5). He was also averaging 10.5 points per game for the Wildcats while leading them in steals.

“The good news is he is insured, so he would have been fine even if the injury would have been worse,” Coach Cal said. “Obviously this is not a career-ending injury and it’s one that athletes bounce back from all the time.”