How much will Keion Brooks contribute right away for Kentucky? ‘Wait and see.’
Kentucky’s last game at Florida saw Keion Brooks punctuate his freshman season with an exclamation point. A question mark seems more befitting for Kentucky’s game in Gainesville on Saturday.
Brooks has not played this season because of a calf injury. UK announced Thursday that doctors had cleared him to return to action.
Assistant coach Jai Lucas, who substituted for John Calipari on Friday’s teleconference, was asked how much Brooks might play.
“We’re kind of just wait and see,” Lucas said. “He had a good practice yesterday. It’s hard (to know) because he hasn’t necessarily been practicing. He’s been doing some conditioning and stuff like that.”
Florida, 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Southeastern Conference, will not be the equivalent of dipping a toe safely in the water.
“I do think he’ll get in a little bit in the game,” Lucas said. “And we’ll just kind of go from there. We’re not expecting much from him.”
Florida was the scene for a memorable conclusion to last season for Brooks and Kentucky. He played a season-high 27 minutes and scored 10 points — only his fifth game in double-digits — as UK rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win 71-70.
The comeback included two three-pointers by Brooks. He had made only three shots from the arc previously.
When asked how far behind Brooks was nine games and more than a month into the season, Lucas pointed out that the player had participated in conditioning exercises and individual workouts.
“But it’s different when it’s five-on-five and in a game,” the UK assistant coach added. “So, it’s much harder to compare practice to a game. . . .
“Hopefully it won’t take as long as it typically does. You expect it to be a little bit quicker. But I think it’ll take a while because we’re into conference play, the third conference game, and we’ve played a bunch of games, and he’s kind of been out. So, it’ll take him a little bit to get his feet under him as it would anybody.”
Kentucky coaches have suggested that Brooks had contributed while not cleared to play. They cited the leadership that comes with being the only player on the team who had any meaningful experience playing for Kentucky and Calipari. Of course, that came as a freshman last season when he averaged 15.1 minutes, 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds.
Yet, in the context of a Kentucky program built on a foundation of one-and-done players, Brooks as a sophomore is a graybeard.
“It sounds crazy . . . ,” Lucas said. But as the sole returning player of any consequence, Brooks “kind of helps us with our poise a little bit.”
Dontaie Allen vouched for the contribution Brooks can make from the sideline. He suggested that Brooks’ play last season could be a guide for judging his potential impact this season.
“He’s gotten bigger and stronger,” Allen said. “He’s become, like, more of a leader for us. . . .
“He’s going to be a great piece added, for sure.”
Clarke update
Freshman Terrence Clarke has missed the last two games because of an ankle injury. Lucas all but ruled out Clarke playing at Florida.
Clarke has been regularly meeting with UK’s medical staff, said Lucas, who added, “The biggest thing right now is just getting him the treatment he needs. And he is in there every morning. He’s in there a lot.”
As for Clarke playing at Florida, Lucas said, “I don’t think so. It’s up in the air, but I would tend to say no.”
Saturday
Kentucky at Florida
When: 5 p.m.
TV: ESPN
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: Kentucky 3-6 (2-0 SEC), Florida 5-1 (2-1)
Series: Kentucky leads 104-40.
Last meeting: Kentucky won 71-70 on March 7, 2020, in Gainesville, Fla.
