Kentucky Loses Noel to Knee Injury
Star Freshman Suffers Setback in Loss to Florida
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky's leading shot blocker and one of the top freshmen in the nation, suffered a knee injury in Tuesday's loss to No. 7 Florida. The injury occurred in the second half, and Noel was carried to the locker room.
The extent of the injury is not yet known, but Noel has elected to undergo a minor surgical procedure in the coming days. The procedure will be performed by Dr. James Andrews, who successfully repaired an acute Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in Noel's foot in April.
The injury is a major blow to Kentucky, which is already without leading scorer Julius Randle, who is out with a broken foot. Noel is averaging 10.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game this season.
"It's a tough loss for us," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Nerlens is a big part of what we do. We're going to have to find a way to adjust without him."
The Wildcats will likely start Dakari Johnson in place of Noel when they host No. 1 Duke on Saturday.
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