[Warning: Gruesome still shot of the injury follows below.]
School officials said doctors reset the bone and inserted a rod into the tibia during the two-hour procedure.
Coach Rick Pitino went to help Ware up when he went down — and then saw the player's bone poking through the skin.
"I literally almost threw up," Pitino said, his voice catching. "Then I just wanted to get a towel to get it over that. But all the players came over and saw it."
A few hours later, his coach showed up at the hospital with a gift: The regional championship trophy.
"He was groggy, in good spirits. He saw us win the trophy and was crying and said it was all worthwhile," coach Rick Pitino told The Associated Press.
"We didn't cut down the net, but I left him the trophy."
Guard Russ Smith said he didn't see the play but he heard the bone snap. Forward Chane Behanan, Ware's closest friend, said the sight was almost unimaginable.
Pitino used the injury motivate his team. "I said, 'We're going to dig in. We're going to play this game to the end. We're going to play this game to get him back home,'" Pitino said, explaining his halftime speech. "We'll get him back home, nurse him to good health and we're going to get him to Atlanta."
Folks have recovered and gone on to have successful pro careers. Louisville trainer Fred Hina "told Pitino it was the same injury that derailed the Heisman Trophy hopes of running back Michael Bush, who also played at Louisville. Bush recovered from the injury and has had a productive NFL career with Oakland and Chicago."
Bush was watching last night's game from his home.
Oohhhh shit I just cried. I feel so bad. #flashback of myself. Anyone if he needs anything please let me know. #teamware
— Michael Bush (@michaelbush29) March 31, 2013
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