Breaking News: Jon Hood Torn ACL

by Glenn Logan on Jul 19, 2011 6:36 PM EDT in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball

This is a Twitter report, but it is from a very reliable source that Jon Hood has torn his ACL. That is bad news for Kentucky's depth. Even though Hood did not contribute a lot last year and would need some major improvement this year to play much, it is always bad when a player blows out an ACL.

We'll have the reports as soon as they are available online. The really screwy thing is I was just working on Jon's player page for the 2011-12 version of Wildcat Tipoff. Talk about your weird and unpleasant coincidences. I just hope the damage is limited to his ACL and he doesn't have much cartilage or other knee damage.

I'm sure we'll be getting the word soon, and I think Tom Leach is subbing in for Lachlan McLain tonight on WHAS, so this may have already hit the airwaves. Unfortunately, I'm not in a position to tune in right now, but if someone can confirm this story in the comments, I'd appreciate it.

UPDATE: Jeff Chao beat me to the punch with a fanshot. It's confirmed.

UPDATE: Alan Cutler has a story up. So does Kentucky Sports Radio.

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Jinx!

I think the only reason I beat you to posting was because I typed less words. Brevity is the soul of wit…

It’s too bad we didn’t both simultaneously rush to deliver better news than this… I really hope Hood makes a full recovery and is ready to go in 2012. I think he can be a real contributor in his upperclassmen years.

http://aseaofblue.com | http://marchtomarch.fantake.com | @jc_at_m2m

by jc25 on Jul 19, 2011 6:46 PM EDT reply actions

I agree.

I had to move it up here for SEO purposes. Fanshots get ignored by Google.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 19, 2011 6:52 PM EDT up reply actions

WKYT in Lexington reported at 6 that he tore it in a pick up game

and will have surgery

by ukfan24 on Jul 19, 2011 7:19 PM EDT reply actions

Bummer

He will be missed off the bench.

Maybe Stacey will get more minutes now? Or am I completely off base? I know, differing positions and all

"I wasn’t thinking about it. That’s the worst celebration of all time. I didn’t know what to do. I got lost in the moment." - Brian McCann

by HansonManCrush on Jul 19, 2011 7:21 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

My Stepdaughter Tore Her ACL In March 1994

It took her 12 months to recover and 18 months to get back to normal.

Surgical techniques much improved now. And her knee injury was more than just ACL tear.

I’d think Hood won’t be playing (much) until next spring or even summer.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 19, 2011 8:30 PM EDT reply actions

I'm hoping it's one of the least severe types of ACL injuries.

Still, surgery is surgery – a tough situation for Jon.

I wish him the best of luck!

by TeamWeaver on Jul 19, 2011 9:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah.

A lot depends on how much ancillary damage was done.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 19, 2011 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Tweet Him Best Wishes

@hoodyhood4

"Statistics are no substitute for judgment" — Henry Clay (my namesake)

by Wild Weasel on Jul 19, 2011 9:04 PM EDT reply actions

Hate to see this.

I pray that he will get back in time to enjoy his senior season. I actually think Hood would of got some playing time this year. I truly believe that UK is going to really put a beat down on some of the OOC teams. Could of really helped his confidence. This sucks.

by ScottWalls on Jul 20, 2011 1:32 AM EDT reply actions

If he redshirts, he won't lose any eligibility. He'll still be a Junior.

And the 2012 team, starved for veteran leadership, may well provide him the opportunity for even more minutes when he returns. Confidence is a funny thing, as happened with Harrellson, Hood’s confidence could burgeon as the team comes to depend on him more.

“A timetable for a return hasn’t been set yet, but with the typical recovery time being about nine months, Hood could redshirt the year and remain a junior heading into the 2012-13 season. Sitting an extra year and returning to play for a team that could be slightly less loaded in 2012 might not be the worst thing that could happen to his career. It might not be what he wanted — Hood seemed ready to come in and fight to contribute, just as he was all of last year — but it might be what he needed.” – Article

by TeamWeaver on Jul 20, 2011 1:53 AM EDT up reply actions

Think Jeff Brassow or Jeff Sheppard.

Both those guys came off the same injury stronger than ever, and both wound up in the Final Four.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 20, 2011 6:42 AM EDT up reply actions

Shep?

His RS was not due to injury.

Derek Anderson tore ACL in mid 1997.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 20, 2011 6:45 AM EDT up reply actions

Oh, I thought it was.

Memory fails me sometimes.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 20, 2011 7:04 AM EDT up reply actions

I do remember Derek Anderson's ACL.

He wound up i a Final Four.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 20, 2011 7:05 AM EDT up reply actions

yep

and was ready, willing and able to play against AZ but RP held him out. Gotta believe we have a 3-peat with DA in there.

God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!

by bigbill992001 on Jul 20, 2011 7:19 PM EDT up reply actions

I Talked To DA Personally About That At WNBA All-Star Game In 2001

His story is little different than RP spun it. I believe DA (not RP).

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 20, 2011 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Heh.

Yeah, I’ll bet he was pretty far from 100%.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 21, 2011 7:39 AM EDT up reply actions

I defer to DA

guess he would know.

God Bless Our Troops............Especially Our Snipers!

by bigbill992001 on Jul 21, 2011 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Forgot about the possiblity of a redshirt.

I guess that is the one positive you can take from the injury. He will still get two more years of eligiblity. Hopefully he can make the most of it. He should take all the time he needs. Don’t want to see this happen again.

by ScottWalls on Jul 20, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Best wishes Jon

Redshirt and get it healed 100%

Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun

@btcoop71

by btcoop71 on Jul 20, 2011 8:37 AM EDT reply actions

I work with Hood's cousin

(I know, I know. Everybody knows somebody, right?) Word from his family and friends on Facebook is that he’s shunning the “Why me?” self-pitying and is already focused on “What do I have to do to get back.” Good to hear that his outlook is positive in the face of such bad news.

by Acdixon on Jul 20, 2011 9:36 AM EDT reply actions

That's great to hear.

A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan

by Glenn Logan on Jul 20, 2011 9:37 AM EDT up reply actions

Physical Recovery Is Easier Than Mental Part

Based on family experience in mid 1990’s.

by FortyYearCatFan on Jul 20, 2011 12:23 PM EDT up reply actions

Hoping for the Best

Best wishes to Jon for a full and speedy recovery.

by Ken Keyser on Jul 20, 2011 10:20 AM EDT reply actions

Best Wishes to Hood

As for this year’s team, we’ll still have more depth than last year.

PG: Teague, then Lamb, then maybe Beckahm or Polson
SG: Lamb, then Miller, then maybe Gillie (enough shooting?) or Poole or Bechkam
SF: Miller, then Gillie, then maybe Wiltjer (enough quickness?) or Poole
PF: Jones, then Davis, Wiljter, and probably Gillie and Miller
C: Davis, then Vargas, then probably Jones, then Wiltjer

We’re pretty thin at SG and SF, where Hood hopefully could have helped. We’ve got 3 guys I’m confident in to play those 2 spots (although Gillie’s shooting is somewhat of a concern at SG). Neither Lamb nor Miller* was foul prone last year, but they did occasionally get in foul trouble and you’d expect Gillie to be foul prone at the start of the year given he’s a freshman who plays tough defense. Obviously, when I say “thin” I mean it in comparison to what is ideal, as most teams could only dream of having their top 3 for those positions be as good as Lamb, Miller, and Gillie and those guys will undoubtedly play as many minutes as they can.

There was a stretch last season when it seemed like Darius was the victim of a number of borderline calls going against him. My friends and I called this “the ongoing conspiracy against Darius Miller.”

All in all, we’re going to have to rely Poole in at least a couple games this year in which foul trouble strikes. Hopefully he’s ready. Right now it seems like a redshirt year is a good plan for Hood. If we have a bunch more Draft Cats this year, Hood, Poole, Wiltjer, and Harrow isn’t a bad start to rotation for 2012.

by KDH2011 on Jul 20, 2011 1:12 PM EDT reply actions

I hope Hood recovers quickly

One result of this is that barring a transfer, UK will no longer have a senior class for 2012-13. Kind of an odd situation.

Age is always advancing. And I believe it's up to no good. - Harry Dresden

by JLeverenz on Jul 20, 2011 4:49 PM EDT reply actions

Beckham?

Is Twany Beckham a senior this year? I think he was a redshirt sophomore for MSST last year and will be a RS junior for UK this year and a RS senior next year. It’s hard to keep track with mid-season transfers, though.

by KDH2011 on Jul 20, 2011 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions