Dec 12, 2014 12:07 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Kentucky Wildcats will be without junior forward Alex Poyhtress for the rest of the season, as he is confirmed to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament.

Poythress sustain the injury in practice Thursday and WKYT confirmed the injury was a torn ACL early Friday morning. Poythress was averaging 5.5 points per game while playing an average of 20 minutes per game for the Wildcats this season.

"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," Kentucky coach John Calipari wrote in a statement on his website. "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.

"Alex tore his ACL during yesterday's practice. It was a breakaway layup and no one bumped him. He stepped with his left foot and just went down."

The ACL is one of the four major ligaments in the knee, making it a highly delicate one for any athlete. The typical recovery time for an ACL tear, including physical rehab, is anywhere from eight months to a year.

"Our team was devastated for Alex when I told them. There were tears throughout the room because this hurt them to the core," Calipari wrote. "How they will respond I really don't know, but I will do my best to be there for each of these kids."

Calipari experienced an ACL tear on his team in 2013, when freshman power forward Nerlens Noel sustain the injury in a game in Feb. Noel was a highly-touted NBA prospect, but he still went on to be drafted sixth overall despite the injury.

Poythress may not be the same kind of prospect, but he can return next season as a senior to build up his draft stock.

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