Duke and Louisville’s battle to earn a Final Four berth is taking a back seat as Louisville guard Kevin Ware left Sunday’s game after suffering a gruesome leg injury.
With 6:33 remaining in the first half against the Blue Devils, Ware went out to contest a 3-pointer when he landed awkwardly. Announcer Clark Kellogg speculated that Ware dislocated some part of his leg, and a report indicated that Ware’s shin bone was “fully protruding” from his leg. The school later confirmed that it was indeed a broken leg.
The injury occurred in front of the Louisville bench, and Ware’s teammates were visibly upset upon seeing the damage done. One report indicates some players may have vomited upon seeing the injury. Ware was taken off the court via stretcher and transported away from the arena via ambulance to Methodist Hospital.
After a lengthy delay — during which coach Rick Pitino and several players were seen crying — play resumed with Louisville leading 21-20.
Pitino’s son Richard, who recruited Ware during his time as a Louisville assistant before taking the head coaching position at Florida International, was seated courtside and described the scene to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
“His bone was sticking out of his shin,” the younger Pitino said. “I’m only 30, but I’ve never seen something like that. It felt like cancelling the game. You feel almost silly cheering [after that].”
