Top 5 scariest college basketball injuries of all time ft. Kevin Ware

While college basketball is thrilling, it can also be terrifying, as seen by some particularly scary injuries, like those sustained by Louisville guard Kevin Ware.

Back in 2013, Ware suffered a horrifying leg fracture in an Elite Eight game. Louisville won the game and the title, and Kevin eventually recovered.

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5 Scariest College Basketball Injuries

Kevin Ware, shown here with Georgia State, suffered a horrific injury while playing for Louisville.

Kevin Ware's injury

Ware, who was a reserve guard for Louisville, leaped to block a shot against Duke in a 2013 Elite Eight game. While there was no collision or apparent impact, something in the movement essentially shattered Ware's right leg.

The medical name for what occurred is an open fracture of the tibia. The more candid statement is that Ware's bone burst through the skin of his leg.

Louisville went on to win the NCAA title, and Ware returned to college basketball. He later transferred from Louisville and reached the NCAA Tournament again with Georgia State.

Tyler Hansbrough's Injury

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough, who had been taken down by Duke's Gerald Henderson and whose face was about to turn into a near-pool of blood from the play,.

Duke and North Carolina rarely get along, and when Duke's Gerald Henderson put a flying tackle on UNC star Tyler Hansbrough, the results were horrifying.

Hansbrough's injury was not as serious as the other injuries on this list. It wasn't career-threatening, and he did not have to miss any significant time because of it. However, it was still a scary sight to see the best player in the country with his face covered in blood and struggling to handle the situation.

Again, Hansbrough was more or less okay. He did wear a mask for the remainder of the season. Hansbrough and UNC lost in the Elite Eight to Georgetown. Two years later, Hansbrough led UNC to an NCAA title.

Derrick Roland's Injury

On the other hand, Texas A&M guard Derrick Roland's injury was much more impactful.

Roland was defending against Washington when he tripped out of a scrum after a rebound, breaking both the tibia and fibula in his right leg. Donald Sloan, Roland's teammate since middle school, was almost as upset as Roland.

Roland was a senior who was averaging 10.5 points per game for A&M. The injury ended his college career. In 2023, Roland became an assistant coach at Marietta College.

Allan Ray's Injury

Villanova guard Allan Ray suffered an injury that probably looked worse than it was but was still horrifying. In a 2006 game, Ray was raked across the face and left the floor, complaining that he could not see. The nature of the injury led many to think that Ray's eye had been poked out.

The truth was a little less horrifying. His eyelid went behind his eye, which looked horrible, but fortunately was not as serious as it looked. Ray returned to action without goggles within a week, and went on to an NBA career.

Brevin Galloway's Injury

Frankly, Brevin Galloway's injury is another that was less serious than it was painful. It's difficult to even explain what happened, but in 2023, the Clemson guard left a game with what the university termed "an abdominal issue."

The actual nature of Galloway's injury was a bit lower and is probably best left as fodder for the curious. If anyone wants the gory and NSFW details of the injury, here's Galloway discussing them on a recent podcast:

Galloway's intimate and painful injury healed quickly. At his third school, the senior averaged 11.2 points per game despite the injury.