Head coach Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals rallied around teammate Kevin Ware's injury to earn a spot in the Final Four. (bradjward/Creative Commons)

Ware, who is expected to remain in Indianapolis until at least Tuesday, had the bone reset and a rod inserted into his leg during the roughly two-hour operation. The wound in his lower leg caused by the bone puncturing through his skin was closed.

Although Ware will now have to undergo a lengthy recovery with no timetable set, the injury is not expected to be career-ending. The Bronx, N.Y. native was leaping to challenge a 3-pointer from Duke's Tyler Thornton with 6:33 left in the first half before he landed and his leg buckled beneath him.

Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and Ware's teammates wiped away tears as they witnessed the gruesome injury, while Duke players were also visibly shaken up.

WARNING: Graphic video of Kevin Ware's leg injury

The Cardinals recovered by defeating the Blue Devils to earn a spot in next week's Final Four in Atlanta, Ware's hometown. They will play Wichita State on April 6 with tip-off scheduled for 3:09 p.m. on CBS. Syracuse will face Michigan in the other Final Four matchup afterward.

See more Neon Tommy coverage of the NCAA tournament here.

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