Photo by Keyli Chisesi (Go Big Blue Country)
Finally, there is some good news to report about the injury that freshman forward Jarred Vanderbilt suffered during practice on Tuesday. Fans can breathe a sigh of relief that the injured foot is not the one that kept him sidelined for three months of the season.
According to Kyle Tucker of SEC Country Kentucky, the injury is instead an ankle sprain, which he suffered during Tuesday’s practice. In addition to that, a source told Matt Jones of KSR that the injury isn’t as serious as they once believed and that UK is hopeful Vanderbilt will play again this season.
With this news, I can’t see any chance that John Calipari plays him in St. Louis, even if Vanderbilt is fine if Kentucky advances to Saturday or Sunday. The smart move is to sit him for the SEC tournament and allow other guys to gain some confidence.
This could be huge for Nick Richards or Sacha Killeya-Jones. Without the worry of being pulled for a mistake, maybe those two can finally settle in and focus on sustaining a high level of play for Kentucky.
If the Wildcats are going to make a run in the NCAA tournament, they need a healthy Vanderbilt and not only that; they need quality minutes and play from Richards or SKJ.
I will update as more information is provided.
