INDIANAPOLIS – Purdue guard Basil Smotherman was helped off the court during the second half of Thursday's game after injuring his right leg.
Smotherman was hurt when Amir Williams put in a layup to give No. 24 Ohio State a 39-38 lead with 14:47 left in a first-round game at the Big Ten tournament. It wasn't entirely clear how the freshman was injured, but he stayed on the ground, grabbing near his knee, until a trainer arrived.
Eventually, Smotherman was assisted by the trainer and a teammate to the bench. He propped the leg on a chair, then disappeared into the tunnel.
Purdue (15-16) was already missing two injured players. Guard Sterling Carter is out with a torn ACL. Forward Jay Simpson's career is over after doctors found a heart problem.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.