Louisville F Buckles out for year with knee injury

Published Jan. 17, 2012 7:36 p.m. ET

foxsports

Louisville forward Rakeem Buckles tore a ligament in his left knee during the Cardinals' loss at Marquette and will miss the rest of the season as well as all of 2012-13 with the injury.

Coach Rick Pitino says in a statement Tuesday that ''all of us are just crushed'' at Buckles' latest setback after he spent nearly nine months working to return from the right knee injury he sustained in February 2011. Buckles appeared in 11 games, averaging four points and 3.8 rebounds.

The 18th-ranked Cardinals (14-5, 2-4 Big East) have lost five of seven games and have lost seven players for at least one game because of health or eligibility issues. Earlier this year, guard Mike Marra also tore a ligament in his left knee.