An MRI exam also revealed a partial tear of Butler's medial collateral ligament and damage to the meniscus, the cartilage between the bone in the knee.

Butler, the second-leading freshman scorer in the nation last season, will undergo two to three weeks of rehabilitation and then undergo surgery after swelling in the knee subsides. Doctors expect a full recovery.

Butler, who was averaging 17 points per game this season, was named the 1999 women's basketball Player of the Year for the state of Georgia by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, and also was last season's Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year. She also was named to the freshman All-America teams by the Women's Basketball Journal and the Women's Basketball News Service last season.

"Losing Niesha Butler is devastating not only to our team and staff, but to me personally," Tech coach Agnus Berenato said. "Niesha was focused on being a great player both on and off the court this year, and this is a setback we must overcome. Our goal of making the NCAA Tournament will not change. That's why I coach a team sport. One individual doesn't make the team, it just gives someone else to step up and make something happen.

"As one of our co-captains, Niesha still has a tremendous responsibility to the team to be a leader and help see our goal fulfilled."

Butler, Tech's leading scorer, injured her knee while driving to the basket just two minutes and 42 seconds into Tech's ACC opener with sixth-ranked NC State on Tuesday.

"A lot of players have come back from this type of injury, and I'm confident I will too," Butler said. "I have the utmost confidence in our doctors, athletic trainers, medical staff and coaches. I'll be back, and hopefully, I'll be back much stronger than before. I am just going to have to work hard, come back next year and play my heart out."

Berenato said Tech will apply for a medical redshirt for Butler so she will not lose a year of eligibility.