Kentucky Freshman Tears Knee Ligament
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The college basketball season and the 2013 NBA Draft were turned upside down in an instant when Kentucky Wildcats star center Nerlens Noel went down in a heap during a game against the Florida Gators Tuesday night.
Noel, a 6'10" forward, tore a ligament in his left knee when his knee buckled awkwardly during the Florida game. Noel immediately collapsed and could be heard on the television broadcast screaming in pain.
Noel will have surgery in the next two or three weeks and the recovery time averages six to eight months.
The bigger issue that may get addressed is the NBA's "one and done" rule. The rule was put in place to try to stem the tide of high schoolers jumping directly to the NBA. However, Noel's injury could change some minds on the issue.
Noel has been considered one of, if not the top pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Now that he is out until possibly as late as September, it's unknown how that could impact his draft stock.
The difference between being a top three pick and falling out of the NBA lottery is millions of dollars.
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