UNC basketball’s Leaky Black ruled out for remainder of game vs NC State Wolfpack
North Carolina senior forward Leaky Black suffered a hyperextended right knee on Saturday against N.C. State, but it is not expected to keep him out for Monday’s game against Syracuse.
“The great thing about it is that it’s nothing serious and nothing structurally damaged,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said.
Black jumped up to contest a shot from Wolfpack forward Jericole Hellems. Black’s right knee buckled as he landed and he didn’t immediately get up from the floor. He sat clutching his right knee until athletic trainer Doug Halverson helped him off the court and directly to the locker room with 4:31 left in the first half.
Black did not return to the bench for the remainder of the first half, but came out for the second half with a brace on his knee. Black participated in warmups and practiced running and backpedaling to see if he could play.
“He said he felt good but he didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable cutting and making moves and so we rested him the rest of the game,” Davis said.
Black has started 28 of the Heels’ 29 games this season. He missed their loss to Purdue with an illness.
Black is the Tar Heels’ best defender and a contender for the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year award. In the first half, Black had limited N.C. State’s leading scorer Dereon Seabron to just three points on 1-for-7 shooting.
Sophomore Puff Johnson took Black’s place in the lineup to begin the second half.
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 3:41 PM.