SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The normally light-hearted practice session that marks the day before the Final Four turned sad for Kansas when senior guard Rodrick Stewart suffered a broken kneecap while planting his leg to dunk.

The injury will require surgery and, obviously, Stewart will miss Saturday’s NCAA semifinal game against North Carolina.

Stewart averages about 12 minutes a game but has played sparingly during the Jayhawks’ tournament run, playing only one minute combined in their last three games.

KU Coach Bill Self said it was “a subdued locker room” when he disclosed the extent of the injury to the team after practice.

“I don’t know exactly how it happened,” Self said. “He said he slipped on a wet spot. I told our freshmen they could go dunk and then Rodrick jumps out there and goes and tries to dunk. I’m disappointed. We do that every tournament. I’m hurt for him because guys practice their whole life to participate in the Final Four and that’s been taken away from him.”

Teams often use the public practice sessions on Friday to entertain fans and let loose steam. UCLA players, for instance, spent much of its practice launching full-court shots. Teams often go to another site for the “real” practice.