VILLANOVA, Pa. – When Curtis Sumpter failed to return from a knee injury in the second half of Villanova’s second-round NCAA tournament game, coach Jay Wright expected the worst.

“He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever coached,” Wright said. “I didn’t know what happened, but I knew when he didn’t play, that it was serious.”

Sure enough, Wright was correct. Sumpter will miss the rest of the NCAA tournament after a MRI exam yesterday revealed that he has a torn ligament in his left knee.

Villanova’s starting forward was hurt in a second-round win over Florida on Sunday, leaving the game after 12 minutes after scoring eight points and twice tumbling to the court and clutching his left knee.

Sumpter, the team’s second-leading scorer (15.3 points) and leading rebounder (7.2 rpg), didn’t play again, instead cheering his teammates on from the bench.

“When it happened, I knew something was wrong,” Sumpter said. “I knew something felt a little funny. I thought I’d walk it off and I’d be fine.”

Villanova (24-7) beat the fourth-seeded Gators 76-65 and advanced to its first regional semifinal since 1988. The fifth seeded Wildcats will play no. 1 seed North Carolina on Friday in Syracuse.

Wright said Sumpter has a history of not telling trainers how badly he’s injured. The junior missed two games this season with a sprained right knee and has worn a brace around that knee since January 15.

Sumpter, a second-team All-Big East selection, said the first time he was hurt against the Gators, he thought he had tweaked his knee and wasn’t really concerned about a serious injury. Sumpter said the second time, his knee just “gave out” and he knew he was finished for the tournament.

Sumpter’s injury is a serious blow to the Wildcats, who are chasing their first national championship since 1985. Besides being Villanova’s only legitimate post presence, Sumpter is versatile enough to play on the perimeter, shooting 43% from 3-point range (39-for-90).