Fellow nominees The Maccabees have tipped Ware to win, not least because they are old friends.

BBC: Plan B and Hawley named Mercury favourites

Before leaving the court, Ware instructed his teammates not to worry about him.

WSJ: Louisville's Ware Suffers Gruesome Leg Injury

Louisville faces some practical concerns not having Ware in the lineup.

WSJ: Final Four: It's Louisville and The Other Guys

That's typical procedure for this kind of injury, says orthopedic surgeon Dr. Fred Azar of Memphis, who is not involved in Ware's care.

CNN: Kevin Ware could be playing again in less than a year

Kaplan -- who also is not involved in Ware's care -- said it's also possible Ware had a benign bone tumor that weakened the tibia before his fall.

CNN: Kevin Ware could be playing again in less than a year

Maybe it would not have been Duke's day if nothing had happened to Kevin Ware.

WSJ: Jason Gay | A Heart-Stopping Moment in Indy

"Confidence is being restored, not just among investors but among businesses and consumers, " says Jason Ware, market strategist at Albion Financial Group in Salt Lake City, Utah.

WSJ: S&P 500 Breaks Above Closing High

Whether it's next year or not, or some other time down the road, I hope Kevin Ware of Louisville gets back to this tournament to make another memory.

WSJ: Jason Gay | A Heart-Stopping Moment in Indy