It's one of the most devastating injuries in the history of sports, but it's not keeping Kevin Ware down.
The 20-year-old Louisville basketball star was back on his feet today, just hours after the horrific leg fracture that had his right tibia breaking through the skin in a stomach-churning moment.
'I'll be back next season,' Ware tweeted to his fans from his bed at Methodist Hospital in Indiana on Monday.
Earlier, he was pictured sporting a leg cast, a pair of crutches and a Final Four hat.
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Up and running: Kevin Ware was pictured in crutches and a Final Four hat hours after suffering the grisly injury
On the mend: Ware poses with Coach Rick Pitino, left, son Richard Pitino, right, and the NCAA regional championship trophy as they visited him in his hospital room on Monday morning
Doctors say that the surgery to repair the break was successful, and while his road to recovery is a daunting one, he should be able to play again.
The Cardinals plan to leave for the Final Four in Atlanta on Wednesday night, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino said they expect to have Ware traveling with them.
Ware is originally from New York City, but he moved to the Atlanta area before high school.
Showing some leg: Ware posted a photo on Twitter of his surgically-repaired leg on Monday
'He gets to go home, be with his family and be with us on the bench,' Pitino said. 'He's in very good spirits and anxious to get out of the hospital and get back with the guys.
Through his Twitter account, Ware thanked his fans for their support and NCAA president Mark Emmert for visiting him in the hospital.
He also posted a photo of his surgically-repaired leg as he laid in his hospital bed.
Ware's girlfriend stayed with him overnight, and his mother and her husband arrived Monday.
'She just needed to see him this morning,' Pitino said. 'She was crying all night. Once she gave him a hug this morning, she was fine. Everything is good right now.'
Ware's injury, which dominated social media on Sunday night, got the attention of everyone from famous athletes to celebrities.
Television analyst Greg Anthony and even Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called him Monday to see how Ware was doing.
Senior athletic director Kevin Klein tweeted that Ware will be hospitalized until tomorrow, when he's expected to re-join his team as they travel to Atlanta for the semifinal game.
After the injury, which took place in front of millions of horrified TV viewers, Ware valiantly told teammates: 'Don't worry about me, win this thing' after he landed badly from a jump to block a three-point shot during the Louisville-Duke game on Sunday night.
Pitino and the Louisville team were in tears and some even vomited as Ware screamed in pain and writhed in agony on the court.
Doctor says Ware's injuries could threaten long-term career
Pictures posted to Twitter show Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware recovering in hospital after suffering a severe broken leg in the game against Duke
Kevin Ware was pictured holding the Midwest region title trophy after his surgery on his broken right leg
Horrific: Kevin Ware, 20, screams with pain as trainers cover his leg following a crippling injury Sunday night during the Louiseville-Duke game
Hurt: Ware, 20, is comforted by teammate Luke Hancock after the horrific injury. He was quickly loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital
Inspiration: Despite unimaginable pain, Ware reportedly told teammates not to worry about him and to focus on winning the game
Trainers immediately covered the leg with a towel and placed Ware on a backboard, then lifted him onto a stretcher.
For television viewers, it was a terrifying sight that prompted many to express their sentiments on social media sites.
CBS even stopped showing the replay, which was not seen inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
But for Louisville players and coaches, it was far worse.
WILL WARE PLAY AGAIN? DOCTORS WEIGH IN ON INJURY AND SURGERY
Kevin Ware's break of the right tibia will go down in history as one of the most grisly sports injuries, but doctors agree that he will most likely be able to continue playing.
Ware underwent successful surgery last night at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
In a two hour-procedure, doctors reset the broken bone and sewed up the wound from which the tibia had protruded.
Fred Hina, Louisville's director of sports medicine, told USA Today that Ware's road to recovery will be a long one, but he should be able to play the game again.
Dr Reed Estes, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said basketball players are prone to stress fractures in the tibia, the larger of the two leg bones, and that can weaken them.
'If these are not detected they can result in a full fracture, particularly if the landing mechanics are just right' after a jump, he said.
Ware should be fine to play next season, he said.
Dr Frederick Azar, head of the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said Ware 'jumped pretty far horizontally and vertically, and he landed with a twist,' which puts so much torsion and stress on the bones they could have just snapped.
He agreed with Estes' assessment that a stress fracture could have made Ware more prone to the injury.
Guard Russ Smith said he didn't see the play but heard the bone snap. And forward Chane Behanan, Ware's closest friend, said the sight was almost unimaginable.
Pitino, one of college basketball's top winners, thought he had seen just about everything in the sport until Ware's injury.
Ware's teammates responded to the shock of his loss by returning to the court with a vengeance.
The second half of the game saw Louisville dominate Duke - clobbering the Blue Devils 85-63.
School officials said doctors reset the bone and inserted a rod into the tibia during the two-hour procedure on Sunday night.
A few hours later, his coach showed up at the hospital with a gift: The regional championship trophy.
'He was groggy, in good spirits,' said Rick Pitino.
He added: 'He saw us win the trophy and was crying and said it was all worthwhile. We didn't cut down the net, but I left him the trophy.'
Pitino said he and his son Richard, who recruited Ware, spent the night in Indiana, along with the team's doctors.
Louisville will play Wichita State in the Final Four next weekend.
The winner of that game plays for the NCAA men's basketball championship.
His teammates held up a jersey with Ware's name as they celebrated their resounding victory.
After the game, Pitino said: 'The bone’s 6 inches out of his leg and all he's yelling is, "Win the game, win the game"
'I've not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man.
He told NBC: 'We won this for him. We were all choked up with emotion for him. We’ll get him back to normal. We’ve got great doctors, great trainers. We talked about it every timeout, "Get Kevin home."'
A haunting silence fell over Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Elite Eight game was being played, as fans waited for news of Ware's condition.
The injury occurred with 6:33 left in the first half as Duke's Tyler Thornton made a 3-pointer to get the Blue Devils within 21-20.
Ware tried to block the shot but landed on his feet awkwardly and his leg buckled.
The injury happened in front of the Louisville bench, and the Cardinals were overcome with emotion.
Six inches of Ware's leg bone was left protruding after the injury and players including Russ Smith collapsed to the floor and were clearly crying as doctors attended to Ware.
WARNING:GRAPHIC CONTENT Louisville player's horror injury
Sickened: Ware's teammates sobbed on the court after seeing their friend so badly injured during the game
Backing: After tweeting his support, legendary NFL quarterback texted Kevin Ware to offer 'anything he needed'
In his shoes: Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family'
As Ware was being loaded onto a stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying that Ware wanted to talk to them before he left.
SNEAKERS, PARTY AND LADY-LOVING KEVIN WARE
Kevin Ware is 20-years-old and has three sisters (with two of them, above)
He enjoys 'spending time with ladies, collecting sneakers and attending parties' in his spare time.
He feels Omar Epps or Andre 3000 would be the best actor to play him in a movie.
His favorite foods are Pizza, fried chicken and Chinese food
For a midnight snack he likes Cheetos puffs and sunflower seeds
He loves to write and is 'very quiet'
His mom has had the greatest influence on his athletic career
His girlfriend accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital last night
First thing he said to his mom on the phone from hospital was to tell her to 'calm down'
Averaged 13.2 points, 4.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals as a senior in helping Rockdale County post a 26-6 record and finish as the Georgia 4-A state runner-up.
An outpouring of support has emerged for the injured Louisville guard, including from fellow athletes and celebrities.
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who famously sustained a broken leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, tweeted, 'Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware.'
Pitino wiped away his eyes as Ware was wheeled out, as did several of the Louisville players.
If anyone knows what Ware is going through, it's Theismann, whose career was finished when he was brought down by Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, and his knee drove into his lower leg bones.
Theismann told NFL AM that he had texted Ware to offer 'anything he needed.'
He said: 'The emotional part of it is where I can maybe help walk him through it because I can tell him everything that he's going to feel, I can tell him everything that he's going to go through emotionally.'
Current Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family.'
He also got personal shout-outs from NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Today show anchor Matt Lauer posted: 'Sounds like Kevin Ware's surgery went well. My thoughts are with him this morning. So hard to see something like that!'
'Worst thing I've ever seen on a basketball court,' tweeted Yahoo basketball analyst Pat Forde.
Ware, a native of the Bronx, New York, is a sophomore who has become a force on the number-one-ranked Cardinals team during the NCAA Tournament.
Emotional: Despite being devastated by Ware's injury, the Cardinals took charge of the game during the second half, leading Duke by more than ten points
Even Rick Pitino, the hardened coach of the Louisville Cardinals, fought back tears as his player was carted away from the court
The Cardinals consoled each other as they struggled to come to terms with the graphic injury that witnessed in front of their bench
The 20-year-old Louisville basketball star was back on his feet today, just hours after the horrific leg fracture that had his right tibia breaking through the skin in a stomach-churning moment.
'I'll be back next season,' Ware tweeted to his fans from his bed at Methodist Hospital in Indiana on Monday.
Earlier, he was pictured sporting a leg cast, a pair of crutches and a Final Four hat.
Scroll down for videos
Up and running: Kevin Ware was pictured in crutches and a Final Four hat hours after suffering the grisly injury
On the mend: Ware poses with Coach Rick Pitino, left, son Richard Pitino, right, and the NCAA regional championship trophy as they visited him in his hospital room on Monday morning
Doctors say that the surgery to repair the break was successful, and while his road to recovery is a daunting one, he should be able to play again.
The Cardinals plan to leave for the Final Four in Atlanta on Wednesday night, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino said they expect to have Ware traveling with them.
Ware is originally from New York City, but he moved to the Atlanta area before high school.
Showing some leg: Ware posted a photo on Twitter of his surgically-repaired leg on Monday
'He gets to go home, be with his family and be with us on the bench,' Pitino said. 'He's in very good spirits and anxious to get out of the hospital and get back with the guys.
Through his Twitter account, Ware thanked his fans for their support and NCAA president Mark Emmert for visiting him in the hospital.
He also posted a photo of his surgically-repaired leg as he laid in his hospital bed.
Ware's girlfriend stayed with him overnight, and his mother and her husband arrived Monday.
'She just needed to see him this morning,' Pitino said. 'She was crying all night. Once she gave him a hug this morning, she was fine. Everything is good right now.'
Ware's injury, which dominated social media on Sunday night, got the attention of everyone from famous athletes to celebrities.
Television analyst Greg Anthony and even Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski called him Monday to see how Ware was doing.
Senior athletic director Kevin Klein tweeted that Ware will be hospitalized until tomorrow, when he's expected to re-join his team as they travel to Atlanta for the semifinal game.
After the injury, which took place in front of millions of horrified TV viewers, Ware valiantly told teammates: 'Don't worry about me, win this thing' after he landed badly from a jump to block a three-point shot during the Louisville-Duke game on Sunday night.
Pitino and the Louisville team were in tears and some even vomited as Ware screamed in pain and writhed in agony on the court.
Doctor says Ware's injuries could threaten long-term career
Pictures posted to Twitter show Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware recovering in hospital after suffering a severe broken leg in the game against Duke
Kevin Ware was pictured holding the Midwest region title trophy after his surgery on his broken right leg
Horrific: Kevin Ware, 20, screams with pain as trainers cover his leg following a crippling injury Sunday night during the Louiseville-Duke game
Hurt: Ware, 20, is comforted by teammate Luke Hancock after the horrific injury. He was quickly loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital
Inspiration: Despite unimaginable pain, Ware reportedly told teammates not to worry about him and to focus on winning the game
Trainers immediately covered the leg with a towel and placed Ware on a backboard, then lifted him onto a stretcher.
For television viewers, it was a terrifying sight that prompted many to express their sentiments on social media sites.
CBS even stopped showing the replay, which was not seen inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
But for Louisville players and coaches, it was far worse.
WILL WARE PLAY AGAIN? DOCTORS WEIGH IN ON INJURY AND SURGERY
Kevin Ware's break of the right tibia will go down in history as one of the most grisly sports injuries, but doctors agree that he will most likely be able to continue playing.
Ware underwent successful surgery last night at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis.
In a two hour-procedure, doctors reset the broken bone and sewed up the wound from which the tibia had protruded.
Fred Hina, Louisville's director of sports medicine, told USA Today that Ware's road to recovery will be a long one, but he should be able to play the game again.
Dr Reed Estes, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said basketball players are prone to stress fractures in the tibia, the larger of the two leg bones, and that can weaken them.
'If these are not detected they can result in a full fracture, particularly if the landing mechanics are just right' after a jump, he said.
Ware should be fine to play next season, he said.
Dr Frederick Azar, head of the Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, and a spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said Ware 'jumped pretty far horizontally and vertically, and he landed with a twist,' which puts so much torsion and stress on the bones they could have just snapped.
He agreed with Estes' assessment that a stress fracture could have made Ware more prone to the injury.
Guard Russ Smith said he didn't see the play but heard the bone snap. And forward Chane Behanan, Ware's closest friend, said the sight was almost unimaginable.
Pitino, one of college basketball's top winners, thought he had seen just about everything in the sport until Ware's injury.
Ware's teammates responded to the shock of his loss by returning to the court with a vengeance.
The second half of the game saw Louisville dominate Duke - clobbering the Blue Devils 85-63.
School officials said doctors reset the bone and inserted a rod into the tibia during the two-hour procedure on Sunday night.
A few hours later, his coach showed up at the hospital with a gift: The regional championship trophy.
'He was groggy, in good spirits,' said Rick Pitino.
He added: 'He saw us win the trophy and was crying and said it was all worthwhile. We didn't cut down the net, but I left him the trophy.'
Pitino said he and his son Richard, who recruited Ware, spent the night in Indiana, along with the team's doctors.
Louisville will play Wichita State in the Final Four next weekend.
The winner of that game plays for the NCAA men's basketball championship.
His teammates held up a jersey with Ware's name as they celebrated their resounding victory.
After the game, Pitino said: 'The bone’s 6 inches out of his leg and all he's yelling is, "Win the game, win the game"
'I've not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man.
He told NBC: 'We won this for him. We were all choked up with emotion for him. We’ll get him back to normal. We’ve got great doctors, great trainers. We talked about it every timeout, "Get Kevin home."'
A haunting silence fell over Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, where the Elite Eight game was being played, as fans waited for news of Ware's condition.
The injury occurred with 6:33 left in the first half as Duke's Tyler Thornton made a 3-pointer to get the Blue Devils within 21-20.
Ware tried to block the shot but landed on his feet awkwardly and his leg buckled.
The injury happened in front of the Louisville bench, and the Cardinals were overcome with emotion.
Six inches of Ware's leg bone was left protruding after the injury and players including Russ Smith collapsed to the floor and were clearly crying as doctors attended to Ware.
WARNING:GRAPHIC CONTENT Louisville player's horror injury
Sickened: Ware's teammates sobbed on the court after seeing their friend so badly injured during the game
Backing: After tweeting his support, legendary NFL quarterback texted Kevin Ware to offer 'anything he needed'
In his shoes: Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family'
As Ware was being loaded onto a stretcher, the Cardinals gathered at midcourt until Pitino called them over, saying that Ware wanted to talk to them before he left.
SNEAKERS, PARTY AND LADY-LOVING KEVIN WARE
Kevin Ware is 20-years-old and has three sisters (with two of them, above)
He enjoys 'spending time with ladies, collecting sneakers and attending parties' in his spare time.
He feels Omar Epps or Andre 3000 would be the best actor to play him in a movie.
His favorite foods are Pizza, fried chicken and Chinese food
For a midnight snack he likes Cheetos puffs and sunflower seeds
He loves to write and is 'very quiet'
His mom has had the greatest influence on his athletic career
His girlfriend accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital last night
First thing he said to his mom on the phone from hospital was to tell her to 'calm down'
Averaged 13.2 points, 4.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.2 steals as a senior in helping Rockdale County post a 26-6 record and finish as the Georgia 4-A state runner-up.
An outpouring of support has emerged for the injured Louisville guard, including from fellow athletes and celebrities.
Former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, who famously sustained a broken leg during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, tweeted, 'Watching Duke/ Louisville my heart goes out to Kevin Ware.'
Pitino wiped away his eyes as Ware was wheeled out, as did several of the Louisville players.
If anyone knows what Ware is going through, it's Theismann, whose career was finished when he was brought down by Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, and his knee drove into his lower leg bones.
Theismann told NFL AM that he had texted Ware to offer 'anything he needed.'
He said: 'The emotional part of it is where I can maybe help walk him through it because I can tell him everything that he's going to feel, I can tell him everything that he's going to go through emotionally.'
Current Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who's recovering from a knee injury he suffered in the NFL playoffs in January, tweeted: 'Prayers up for Kevin Ware, his teammates, & family.'
He also got personal shout-outs from NBA stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Today show anchor Matt Lauer posted: 'Sounds like Kevin Ware's surgery went well. My thoughts are with him this morning. So hard to see something like that!'
'Worst thing I've ever seen on a basketball court,' tweeted Yahoo basketball analyst Pat Forde.
Ware, a native of the Bronx, New York, is a sophomore who has become a force on the number-one-ranked Cardinals team during the NCAA Tournament.
Emotional: Despite being devastated by Ware's injury, the Cardinals took charge of the game during the second half, leading Duke by more than ten points
Even Rick Pitino, the hardened coach of the Louisville Cardinals, fought back tears as his player was carted away from the court
The Cardinals consoled each other as they struggled to come to terms with the graphic injury that witnessed in front of their bench