Columbia Athletics

With the Lions off to an 0-2 start (70-57 loss to national champ UConn and 62-58 loss to Furman Monday night), they took another blow last night.

6'3 senior guard Noruwa Agho — the heart of the team — went down with a knee injury late in the game after scoring 12 points in 31 minutes for Columbia. His return was questionable, and apparently he returned to the sidelines on crutches, but this afternoon Dalen Cuff (@dcuff21) reported a torn patellar tendon.

We don't know much about the severity of the tear, but as DP Sports' resident Pam Oliver, here's what this means for the Lions: We don't know for sure whether or not the tear is partial or complete, but based on reports that he wasn't putting any weight on his leg after the injury, a complete tear is probable.

In layman's terms, the patellar tendon connects the patella (kneecap) to the tibia (shin bone). Without full connection, the patella has no support and slides around the knee joint and often up toward the femur (thigh). Sometimes part of the patella bone can break as well, if the tear is near the kneecap. Without support from the tendon, the knee cannot be straightened.

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Prognosis: Of course I can't make any judgments as to the specifics of Agho's injury, but if the tear is indeed complete, he will need surgery. In the off-chance of a partial tear, he could do major rehabbing and get back, but he would be incredibly prone to further injury. More likely is surgery, which is not good for him or Columbia's program. There are tons of variables that play into the type of surgery and how invasive it will be, and again, I can't speculate on that. But for such a surgery, 6-12 months is the average recovery time, and that's for an average person. It could take even longer for Agho to get back to full playing form.

Reports have been that he could be out for the year, and if he does indeed have surgery, we probably won't see him on the court anytime this season. Keep in mind he is a senior, and it's quite difficult to convince the Ivy League that you need a 5th year for academic reasons.

The loss is really unfortunate — Agho is the backbone to this team and he will be tough to replace. In the past two seasons, he averaged 34.5 minutes per game and 16.5 points per game. He dished out 119 assists last year and grabbed 138 boards.