Kevin Ware’s high school basketball coach has yet to see the gruesome TV footage of the injury but he did talk over the telephone with his former prized prospect on Monday.
“One of my assistants called me this morning and said, ‘Hey man, Kevin is looking for you; Give him a call’ and so I gave him a call” said Rockdale County High School’s Alvin Williams, who was on the second day of a seven-day cruise in the Caribbean.
“I spoke with Kevin, and he’s in great spirits. He was very upbeat and had a real positive spirit. The last thing he said to me was, ‘Coach, I’m all right.’ So he’s going to be fine.”
The coach missed Ware’s first-half injury while traveling but did tune in time to watch the second half of Louisville’s win over Duke on Sunday night. Williams didn’t really have any idea to the seriousness of Ware’s injury until he talked with one of his Rockdale County assistants early Monday.
Williams plans to try to meet up with Ware later this week in Atlanta, if possible.
“I’m stuck on a cruise ship until Saturday,” Williams said. “Wherever he is, I’ll go to him then. If I wasn’t on a cruise ship with my family, I’d be where he is right now.”
The coach and player have kept in contact since they led Rockdale County to the 2011 state championship game – the school’s first appearance in the finals since 1987. Ware averaged 19 points and 9 rebounds as a senior.
His recruiting journey took a lot of twists and turns. Ware signed early with Tennessee but re-opened his recruitment after Bruce Pearl was fired. He committed to Central Florida and then later switched to Louisville, while also considering Georgia.
The 6-foot-2 Ware, a sophomore, was one of the top players off Louisville’s bench this season.
“I tell you what: With Louisville making the Final Four, it has me believing that they have the best team in the country,” Williams said. “They have great kids, great players and actually an awesome coach who really knows how to coach this time of year.
“Kevin is going to do well. Some people are born to do things. Kevin was born to play basketball. I expect him to get better and better.”
On Sunday, Ware became the biggest story of this year’s NCAA tournament when he shattered his right leg in front of a national TV audience while defending a 3-point shot by Duke’s Tyler Thornton. While his teammates and coach cried, Ware rallied the team by saying, “Just win the game. I’m OK. Just win the game.”
Ware was transported to an Indianapolis hospital, underwent surgery on Sunday night for two hours, and had a rod inserted into his leg. He was photographed walking around on crutches on Monday.
“This morning, he’s doing terrific,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said in a conference call. “He’s in great spirits. Got some phone calls from (Joe) Theismann and Greg Anthony.”
Pitino said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski also called on Monday to check on Ware, who will probably remain in Indianapolis until Tuesday with his family and then join the team later this week in Atlanta. Ware will be on Louisville’s bench when it plays Wichita State in the semifinals on Saturday.
Ware, who inspired his teammates with his toughness after the injury, finally broke down on Sunday night.
“He watched the players at the press conference; Nurses said that was the first time he cried, when the players started talking about him,” Pitino said.
