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Nerlens Noel’s knee problem could be traced back to season-ending high school injury

Nerlens Noel - photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com

– photo by Tammie Brown | WildcatWorld.com

When freshman Nerlens Noel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Feb. 12 loss to , it seemed like bad luck and bad timing. The 6-foot-10 shot-blocking sensation, considered a probable No. 1 overall NBA draft pick, was lost for the year because of one faulty step, one fluky moment.

But a largely forgotten incident early in Noel's high school career could raise questions about potential structural issues with his leg, and whether he risked further damage by returning from that injury too quickly.

Five games into his sophomore season at Everett (Mass.) High, Noel fractured a growth plate in his left knee and missed the rest of the year. John DiBiaso, his former coach, said in a phone interview that doctors told Noel to rest the knee through the summer. But, DiBiaso said, Noel started playing with his travel team in March at the urging of his advisors.

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On This Day In UK Basketball History

On March 28, 1992, in what many called the “best NCAA Tournament game ever,” Kentucky takes defending NCAA champion Duke into overtime before losing 104-103 in the East Regional finals in Philadelphia. A last-second shot by Christian Laettner sends Duke to the Final Four, and breaks the hearts of Wildcat fans everywhere. It is Cawood Ledford’s last game as the “Voice of the Wildcats.”

 

On March 28, 1998, against Stanford, Kentucky rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit, then grabbed a 5-point overtime lead, before fending off the Cardinals to advance to the title game for the third straight season. Jeff Sheppard canned three long-range three-pointers - two in the final three minutes and one in overtime - en route to a career-high 27 points.

 

On March 28, 2014, unranked Kentucky beat No. 5 Louisville 74-69, in the 2014 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.  Aaron Harrison buried a three-pointer from the left corner with 39 seconds left that put UK ahead to stay before 41,072 in Lucas Oil Stadium.

 

On March 28, 2015, No. 1 Kentucky defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 68-66, in the 2015 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.  With its 37-0 record on the line, Kentucky trailed Notre Dame 59-53 with 6:14 left. UK rallied in front of 19,464 fans in Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena and preserved its perfect season thanks to a crucial blocked shot by Willie Cauley-Stein and two game-deciding free throws from Andrew Harrison in the final seconds.

 

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