By Chuck Schilken
April 1, 2013, 9:12 a.m.

Louisville guard Kevin Ware received quite a get-well present from Coach Rick Pitino on Sunday night after awaking from successful surgery on his broken right leg.

The Midwest Regional championship trophy.

“He was groggy, in good spirits. He saw us win the trophy and was crying and said it was all worthwhile,” Pitino told the Associated Press. “We didn't cut down the net, but I left him the trophy.”

Ware suffered the gruesome injury while defending a shot with 6:33 remaining in the first half of the Cardinals' eventual 85-63 victory in Indianapolis.

According to a school statement, Ware had the bone reset and a rod inserted in his right tibia during a procedure that lasted approximately two hours.

Ware, a key backcourt reserve for the Cardinals, is expected to remain in Indianapolis until at least Tuesday. The school says he will then return to Louisville and hopes to join his teammates on their trip to Atlanta for the Final Four.

- LA Times