Aggies lose PG Duane Wilson to season ending knee injury

Texas A&M point guard Duane Wilson announced on social media Monday morning that his college career is over because of a knee injury. Wilson, a graduate transfer from Marquette, started much of the season for the Aggies and was playing 24 minutes per game. He averaged 9 points and 4 assists and was as a vocal and emotional leader on the floor for A&M.

The orginal injury to Wilson's knee occurred in a December 30 loss at Alabama. Tests would reveal a partially torn ACL, but Wilson returned to the court after missing only three games, determined to play as long as his knee would allow. 

Last Tuesday at Auburn, Wilson went down in obvious pain before halftime and was helped to the locker room. After some adjustments to his knee brace, he returned in the second half and helped the Aggies finish an 81-80 upset of the 8th-ranked Tigers.

Saturday night against Kentucky, Wilson went to the floor and again needed assistance on two different occasions. His frustration was visible the second time, and he shook his head repeatedly as he laid on the court unable to get up under his own power. On Monday morning, he confirmed what many feared, that the Kentucky game was his last collegiate contest.

Wilson's loss is significant for the Aggies under any circumstance, but it's an especially bitter pill a day after redshirt freshman point guard JJ Caldwell was dismissed from the team for repeated violations of university and athletic department rules. Freshman guard Jay Jay Chandler was suspended indefinitely on Sunday for a similar violation, though he is expected to return in the near future. 

The Aggies have been buyoed by the surprising play of freshman point guard TJ Starks, but the loss of Caldwell and now Wilson create a signifcant depth problem at the point. Texas A&M moved to 6-6 in SEC play with Saturday's 85-74 win over Kentucky and is ranked 21st in this week's AP poll. They face road contests at Missouri on Tuesday and Arkansas on Saturday.