In the midst of March Madness, no one quite expected what happened Sunday, March 31 when Louisville Cardinal player Kevin Ware suffered a broken leg on the way down from blocking a 3-point shot with 6:33 left in the game against Duke.

An unlikely injury for a basketball player, Ware landed awkwardly after the block, which set off a chain of events that he would never have imagined.

Reactions from players and all who have glanced upon a picture of Ware’s leg testify to the gruesome nature of the injury.

Players and coaches alike were overcome with emotion as they looked on. Despite the gloom and sadness that set over the Louisville team, calm and encouraging words from their injured teammate enabled the Cardinals to clinch a spot in the Final Four.

Finally, Ware was taken off the court and underwent a two hour surgery to repair his fractured bone.

Despite the bleak outlook, Ware received support from coaches and NBA players and has been cleared by his doctors to play basketball again in the future.

Even with this good news, it will be eight to twelve weeks before the Louisville player will be able to begin the rehabilitation process in order to join his teammates again for practice in October.

Ware, who attended high school in Atlanta after moving from New York, has been cleared to travel with his team to the Final Four in Atlanta for what is sure to be an emotional and memorable experience. Despite his current condition, Ware’s optimism may have been just what the Cardinals needed to advance to the Final Four.