Claxton Out for the Season

Penn State senior forward Geary Claxton will miss the rest of the season after injuring his ACL last night in the Nittany Lions' loss to Wisconsin. He suffered the injury just seven minutes into the game after going up for a rebound. The full extent of the injury will not be known until Claxton undergoes an MRI today.

"It's devastating for Geary," head coach Ed DeChellis said. "I just went in there at halftime and told him I loved him and hugged him. I just feel horrible for him. I just can't put into words how strong I feel about him as a kid.

"We've got to band together and bond together. The season's not over for us."

Going into last night, Claxton was averaging 18.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists for the surprising Nittany Lions.

Although Penn State seven of its last eight before getting blown out at home by Wisconsin last night, the Nittany Lions' chance as a potential surprise in the Big Ten is now officially over. The 6-5 Claxton was everything for PSU -- he could score, rebound and pass with the best in the Big Ten despite being undersized nearly every night. He had recorded double-doubles in his last four games, and Penn State was finally beginning to come together as a team, winning its first two conference games on the road.

Without Claxton, forward Jamelle Cornley will have to become the team's go-to-guy, while wing David Jackson will likely step into Claxton's spot in the lineup. He's a solid player with potential, but he's certainly no Geary Claxton.