UK's Alex Poythress tears ACL
— -- LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Alex Poythress tore the ACL in his left knee during Thursday's practice and will miss the rest of the season for top-ranked Kentucky, the school announced Friday morning.
"When you're coaching other people's children and these children have high aspirations and unlimited potential -- not only to do things for themselves but for other people -- I can't begin to tell you the feeling when someone gets hurt," coach John Calipari said in a release. "My own son, Brad, tore his ACL last year. All I can tell you is I was physically sick when it happened to him. I feel exactly the same way now that it's happened to Alex."
A date for surgery has not been set, but recovery typically takes six to eight months.
Kentucky plays No. 21 North Carolina on Saturday.
Poythress' injury causes a major shake-up to Calipari's two-platoon system, in which the 6-foot-8 junior was averaging 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in 20 minutes of action.
Freshman guards Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis missed Wednesday's 56-46 victory over Columbia with unspecified injuries. Calipari said afterward that he didn't know if they would be available for Saturday's game against the Tar Heels, the latest of several big tests for a Wildcats team with national aspirations.
And now Kentucky will be left to proceed without one of its key regulars.
"Our team was devastated for Alex when I told them," Calipari said. "There were tears throughout the room because this hurt them to the core. How they will respond I really don't know, but I will do my best to be there for each of these kids.
"I told them, this is a big blow to our team. No one will be able to replace Alex and what he did for this team. I go back to last year's NCAA tournament. Without Alex, we don't win those games. No one will be able to replace him, but now everybody has to do a little bit more as we try to circle the wagons."
Pursuing a title was a key motivation for Poythress to return for a third season with the Wildcats after last spring's NCAA title-game loss to Connecticut. Pictured on the front cover of this season's media guide with 7-foot fellow junior Willie Cauley-Stein, the two are the most experienced players on a 10-deep roster featuring nine Wildcats at least 6-6, leading Calipari to implement a two-platoon system.
The muscular Poythress was shooting just 38 percent from the field but leads Kentucky in free throw percentage at nearly 86 percent. His 12 blocks rank third on the team while his 30 rebounds rank sixth.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
