Calipari: Nerlens Noel 'doing fine' after ACL surgery

Nerlens Noel tore his left ACL on Feb. 12 in a game against Florida, costing him the rest of the season.

Phil Sandlin/AP

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky coach John Calipari says freshman center Nerlens Noel is "doing fine" after surgery on his left knee to repair a torn ACL.

Calipari said in a post on his Facebook account Wednesday that Noel called him after Tuesday's operation performed by famed orthopedic surgeon James Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla. The coach says the surgery "went well" for his 6-foot-10 center, who sustained the season-ending injury in a loss at Florida on Feb. 12.

Noel's call was placed on speakerphone so he could talk to his Wildcats teammates, who begin play Friday in the Southeastern Conference tournament as the No. 2 seed. Calipari says, "it was great for his teammates to hear from him after surgery and I think it helped Nerlens too."

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