For the basketball world at large, the postponement of the 2019-20 NBA season and the cancellation of the NCAA tournament in the wake of the coronavirus came as shocks to the system. That’s particularly true for the first weekend of April, which is normally dominated by the Final Four, ahead of pro basketball’s playoffs.

For Chuma Okeke, life without competitive hoops, amid relative isolation, has been his reality since last year’s edition of March Madness.

It was a simple slip screen, a play Chuma had run hundreds of times in his basketball career without issue.

But this time was different.

This time, he was in a world of hurt.

The sophomore forward was dominating in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2019 NCAA tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. His 20 points, 11 rebounds and five three-pointers put the Auburn Tigers on the verge of another upset victory—this time over the No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels.

But with 8:08 remaining in the second half, on that fateful Friday during March Madness, Chuma’s left knee buckled and he hit the floor with a harsh thud. The whole arena went quiet, the sound of his agony filling the vacuum.

“I felt a loud pop. It was so painful,” he tells CloseUp360. “I thought the bone came out, but then I looked down and my leg was still a part of my body, so it was something to be thankful for.”

Chuma’s head filled up with questions.

Why me? Why now, with my team so close to a championship? Will I ever play again?

“Lots of stuff,” he says. “Lots of emotion.”

Chuma’s mother, Renee, knew what her son was thinking. The moment Chuma went down, she got up from her seat and hurried her way from the bleachers to the floor to comfort him.

“I knew he was hurt bad,” she says. “I was just hoping that it wasn’t an ACL tear, but I told him that we love him and don’t worry about anything because it’s just a minor setback. God’s got this and it’s going to be okay.”