June 25, 2001

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky sophomore Jason Parker tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will require reconstructive surgery, men’s basketball coach Tubby Smith announced today.

Parker, a 6-8, 255-pound forward who started all 34 games last season, injured the knee Sunday night (June 24) in a pick-up basketball game at UK’s Seaton Center. Team physician David Caborn is expected to perform surgery next week. UK athletic trainer David Kindy said rehabilitation for an ACL injury is usually 4-6 months.

“This is a very tough loss for us. Jason is a big part of our team and we were expecting him to make even greater contributions as a sophomore,” Smith said. “Now it looks like we could lose him for the entire season, but we know he’ll come back stronger than ever.”

Parker, who was selected to the 2001 All-Southeastern Conference freshman team, was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 8.6 points per game, and second in rebounding, averaging 4.7 rebounds per contest. The Charlotte, N.C., native was the first freshman to start a season opener in the Tubby Smith era at UK. In the Wildcats’ last game against Southern Cal, Parker tallied a career-high 22 points and 13 rebounds.