Kentucky’s Noel Out for Season With Torn ACL; Draft Status Uncertain
Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel, the projected No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, 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.
The 6-10 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.
Noel is widely projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, but his status now remains uncertain.
“I think he was the first pick,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv. “Now it’s in the twilight zone.”
Noel could opt to remain in college for another year and come back and play a full year at Kentucky alongside a loaded recruiting class that includes five Jordan Brand All-Americans, or he could opt to come out early, rehab under the care of an NBA franchise and hope to come back during his rookie season in the NBA.
Some of the highest-profile college basketball programs in the nation will be out in force this week for a couple of elite guards.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — This was probably as close to a must-win as Rutgers coach Mike Rice has had in his three-year tenure at the Big East school.
Two days after saying he couldn’t guarantee that Iman Shumpert wouldn’t be traded before the Feb. 21 NBA trade deadline, Knicks coach Mike Woodson emphatically stated that the second-year guard will remain a Knick.