Tampa Prep's Juwan Durham tears ACL a second time

Tampa Prep senior Juwan Durham, a 6-foot-10 power forward, will miss the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the second time in seven months.

Durham's latest injury happened in early September, days after the prized recruit announced his commitment to national powerhouse Connecticut.

Durham, ranked 37th in the ESPN 100 for the class of 2016, still was rehabbing from his initial tear sustained Feb. 17 when his knee buckled while on a treadmill and during shooting drills. The family asked for several opinions from doctors before an MRI revealed there was a tear, Terrapins coach Joe Fenlon said.

"Juwan still had complete movement and there was no swelling," Fenlon said. "It was a freak thing; one of the strangest tears of an ACL I've seen."

Fenlon said he contacted Connecticut immediately after the MRI on Durham's knee.

"UConn was fine and said these kind of things happen," Fenlon said.

The injury is blow for Tampa Prep, which has state title aspirations. Last season, Durham averaged 22.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.7 blocks. But the Terrapins played in last year's Class 3A region final and all summer without their star player.

"It's a terrible injury and we're all devastated for Juwan," Fenlon said. "You never want to see anything like this happen. But the good thing for him he has time to heal and get better before he goes off to college.

"And the good thing for us we've at least grown accustomed to playing without him."