Devastating was the initial feeling. That was John Calipari’s first comment once it became official that Nerlens Noel was out for the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Even when the dust settled Wednesday evening, the news still felt devastating for everyone — devastating for Noel, devastating for Coach Cal and devastating for UK.
The fact that Noel will be missed won’t change between now and the end of the season, but Calipari took to his call-in radio show Wednesday night to tell the Big Blue Nation that, while devastating, the loss of Noel isn’t the end for UK, Noel or this season. Coach Cal talked in depth about Noel bouncing back, how UK can cope without him and who will have to step up in his analysis.