So far this basketball season it looked like Penn State was in the process of climbing out of it's annual spot in the Big Ten cellar. The Nittany Lions didn't look like a threat to win the conference, but an NCAA berth looked within reach.
I say it looked within reach, because after last night, I don't think Penn State is going anywhere this season. The team's leading scorer and leading rebounder, Geary Claxton, tore his ACL and he's done for the season.
Penn State senior forward Geary Claxton, the Big Ten's second-leading scorer, will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left knee during the Nittany Lions' 80-55 loss to No. 17 Wisconsin on Tuesday night.
Claxton fell to the floor with about 13 minutes left in the first half after trying to rebound his own missed shot. He winced and held his hands over his face as trainers looked at the leg before walking to the locker room with a slight limp.
This is a huge loss for the Nittany Lions. Huge. Claxton's 18.7 points per game are second in the Big Ten behind Eric Gordon, and his 8.9 rebounds a game are second in the conference to D.J. White. He's also had nine double-doubles this season, including a streak of four in a row that came to an end with his knee injury last night.
It's a terrible way for the senior to end his college career, and it's going to be very difficult for Penn State to make up for his leadership and production.
