He’s hurting. He’s playing a ton of minutes. What keeps Ashton Hagans going?
Ashton Hagans — who has been called the heartbeat of Kentucky’s team — has continued to play this season despite injuries to a shoulder, a knee, the other shoulder, his back and most recently at LSU, a thigh.
John Calipari acknowledged after the victory over Florida the risk of playing Hagans. A re-injury could sideline the point guard/reigning Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year for multiple games.
Calipari has repeatedly given Hagans chances to rest.
“He was calling me into his office every day,” Hagans said Friday. “(He was) walking up to me in practice asking, am I sure? Am I OK?”
Fortunately, Hagans was not under oath, so he did not have to fear committing perjury with his answer.
“I really wouldn’t tell him how I was feeling,” he said of these exchanges. “Because I know he’d probably try to sit me. I would tell him that I think I can go.
“So he was going with whatever I told him.”
So, Hagans will play in Kentucky’s game against Auburn on Saturday. He gave his teammates and trainer Geoffrey Staton credit for keeping him on the court. Staton’s treatments made the hip Hagans bruised at LSU tolerable.
As for his teammates, “I’m having great energy (and a) great vibe,” he said. “My teammates are lifting me up. And that’s how I’m feeling.”
When asked to explain this uplifting vibe his teammates supply, Hagans referenced the “smiling” and “joking” that brightens up meals the UK team regularly has the day before games.
“Asking the cook if we can cook,” he said with a smile. “Making jokes with the cook.”
The UK players tease each other at these meals with what they call “Left Hand That,” Hagans said.
With the call of Left Hand That, a player must surrender whatever he’s holding in his left hand.
“Except phones or wallets,” Hagans said.
On occasion, exceptions can be made for Kentucky’s two left-handed players: EJ Montgomery and Keion Brooks Jr., Hagans said.
“We try to let them slide because it happens all the time with them,” Hagans said.
Nate Sestina is an irresistible target. “You get him, he is sick,” Hagans said.
It’s well documented that Hagans is a two-way floor leader for Kentucky. His 54 steals and 182 assists lead the team.
Of course, his 99 turnovers also lead the UK team.
Hagans’ propensity to turn the ball over has increased in recent weeks. In the last four games, he’s had 18 turnovers. In the last 10, he’s had 41.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas downplayed Hagans’ turnovers as an issue.
“It’s a problem,” Bilas said. “But, he’s played a lot of basketball, and he should be able to deal with it.”
Sometimes a turnover is the fault of the receiver of a pass, Bilas said.
The ESPN analyst likened Hagans’ recent turnovers to a basketball player in a shooting slump or a baseball player in a hitting slump or Jordan Spieth missing fairways.
“These things reverse themselves all at once,” Bilas said.
Not wishing to rely on happenstance alone, Calipari said he had spoken to Hagans about decision-making. He said he advised taking a chance when there was a 70- or 80-percent chance of success. But Hagans should refrain from the attempt if the chance of success was 50 or 60 percent.
“That tells me maybe he’s a little mentally tired,” Calipari said.
Hagans is averaging 33.4 minutes, which is the 12th most among all SEC players.
“So, my thing is that, ‘How do we get this to where you’re back to one or two turnovers a game and still getting your seven assists (or) six assists? How do we do it? Is it step you off the court for a game? Let you have a couple days of practice off? And a game off? And come back fresh?’
“I don’t know. That’s an option which I’ve talked to him about.”
Hagans said he would take a day off if asked.
“Of course,” he said before adding, “We’re trying to win. We’re trying to do something special.
“If that’s what it takes, then I’ll do it.”
Saturday
No. 15 Auburn at No. 8 Kentucky
When: 3:45 p.m.
TV: CBS-27
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Auburn 24-4 (11-4 SEC); Kentucky 23-5 (13-2 SEC)
Series: UK leads 94-21
Last meeting: Auburn won 75-66 on Feb. 1 in Auburn, Ala.
