How would Kentucky cope without two of its key players? Like it has all season.
If this Kentucky season seems like one continuous uphill slog, the incline may get steeper on Saturday.
It wasn’t clear Friday if UK would have to play Florida without Nick Richards, for whom UK launched a campaign for All-America honors this week, and/or point guard Ashton Hagans, who has been described as the heartbeat of the team.
Perhaps as a coping mechanism, John Calipari used sarcastic humor at a press conference previewing the game against Florida.
“The biggest thing I’m hearing is there’s people out there that feel sorry for us,” the UK coach said before adding, “they’re having parties in other parts of the league right now.”
Calipari offered no definitive word on whether Richards and/or Hagans would play against Florida. “They’re day-to-day,” he said, “both of them.”
Florida Coach Mike White expects both to play. “Oh, yeah,” he said Friday. “Absolutely.”
Richards planned to practice Friday.
When asked what in practice would determine how much, or if, Richards played against Florida, Calipari sounded a cautious note. He said he wanted players at 100 percent.
“Playing at 70 percent, you might as well not play,” he said.
Richards turned his right ankle in the game at LSU on Tuesday when he accidentally landed on the ball after dunking.
“It was pretty painful,” he said. “When I watched the video, I was really surprised I didn’t break my ankle.”
Richards said he was “feeling pretty good” on Friday.
UK will face a productive “big” in Kerry Blackshear Jr., a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech who averages 13.2 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds.
When asked about competing against Blackshear, Richards said, “I think it’s going to be a good matchup. He’s a really skilled ‘big.’ He puts the ball on the floor. Shoots threes (21-of-67). Has really good footwork on the post.”
Richards recalled competing against Blackshear two seasons ago when Blackshear played for Virginia Tech. Blackshear scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds in 22 minutes. UK won 93-86.
“Really physical game,” Richards said. “He plays really physical, actually. So, I think Florida will probably do the same.”
Of course, Kentucky thought highly enough to try to recruit him to add needed depth to its front court.
With Richards’ status and/or effectiveness uncertain, Kentucky’s front-court depth could be an issue.
“We have Ben,” Calipari said in reference to Ben Jordan, a 6-foot-9 pitcher on UK’s baseball team added as a practice body. “He’ll go out there and throw strikes.”
What about Hagans?
Hagans walked gingerly off the court at LSU after a collision that resulted in a fall on his side. There was no word of Hagans practicing Friday.
Calipari has spoken about the advantage Kentucky has in playing three point guards. But he did not sound eager to thrust one or both of the other two — sophomore Immanuel Quickley or freshman Tyrese Maxey — into the role from beginning to end against Florida.
When either has played point guard, “it shows us they have a long way to go,” Calipari said. “It shows us both defensively and decision-making.”
Quickley spoke of Hagans’ impact on defense, in being a leader and in the pressure of possession-by-possession games. As has been well chronicled, the margin separating the teams in 20 of UK’s 26 games has been seven points or fewer inside the final seven minutes. The margin was three points or less inside the final six minutes in 14 games.
Calipari and his assistants have noted a smaller-than-usual margin for error this season.
“He makes winning plays down the stretch with his offense or defense …,” Quickley said of Hagans. “If Ashton can’t play, we’re going to bring everything he usually brings and try to add bits and pieces from each and every player.”
Kentucky has repeatedly dealt with adversity this season, most memorably at Arkansas when Calipari was ejected and Hagans picked up a fourth foul with 15 minutes to go. Injuries to Nate Sestina (fractured wrist), EJ Montgomery (sprained ankle) and Quickley (chest bruise) sidelined rotation players. Johnny Juzang missed two games because of illness. Kentucky Mr. Basketball Dontaie Allen hasn’t played at all and Kahlil Whitney departed at midseason.
Of course, Kentucky had to absorb a stunning home loss to Evansville and the defeat at South Carolina on a banked three-pointer from near the top of the key.
When asked how much adversity Kentucky has had to deal with this season, Richards said, “A lot, actually. Not just with injury, but just with guys trying to be consistent. Just trying to stay in the right frame of mind.
“But, you know, that’s just a basketball season. Every basketball team has their own adversity they go through. … The team that’s able to push through it is going to be the better team.”
Saturday
Florida at No. 10 Kentucky
When: 6 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Florida 17-9 (9-4 SEC); UK 21-5 (11-2)
Series: UK leads 102-40.
Last meeting: UK won 66-57 on March 9, 2019, in Rupp Arena.
This story was originally published February 21, 2020 at 4:31 PM.
