Former Louisville guard Kevin Ware, who hugged the national limelight last year with a gruesome injury that inspired the Cardinals' run to the national championship, will be joining Georgia State, according to the Associated Press.

The stepfather of Ware, Wesley Junior, said the 6-foot-2 guard has given his word to the school after a visit to its Atlanta campus on Saturday. Last month, Ware announced that he would be leaving Louisville to be closer with his family.

''He's happy to be close to home and close to family,'' the AP quoted Junior as saying.

Ware tweeted his appreciation to Louisville by saying: "I want to thank the entire cardinal organization from the coaches, to the staff, trainers, fans, and anyone who's been a supporter of me.''

The decision of Ware comes a year after he broke his right leg during the Midwest Regional final against the Duke Blue Devils. His injury became the rallying point of the Cardinals as they romped their way to the NCAA title. It also made Ware an instant celebrity.

His recovery was quick enough that he made his regular season debut on November 15. However, he continued to have problems with his right leg and he appeared in only nine games.

The guard has yet to apply for school admission, looking for a medical redshirt that would give him two more seasons of eligibility.

Ware is now healthy, said Junior, and ready to get his career back on track. He added: ''He's ready to go today and could play right now if he could. We're just making sure his academics are good and making sure he's ready for the next phase.''

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