Calipari provides update on TyTy Washington after injury in Kentucky-Florida game
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Game day: No. 5 Kentucky 78, Florida 57
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s game between Kentucky and Florida in Rupp Arena.
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Kentucky Wildcats guard TyTy Washington was forced to leave UK’s game against Florida with an injury Saturday.
Washington — the team’s leading backcourt scorer and top NBA Draft prospect — was involved in a collision with Gators guard Brandon McKissic in the second half, and both players ended up on the court. Washington almost immediately jumped to his feet and ran off the court into the tunnel leading to the UK locker room, wincing and limping badly.
UK announced late in the game that Washington would be unable to return due to a “left lower leg” injury.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari didn’t give many details on the nature of Washington’s injury following the game, but he did say the UK player was in good spirits in the postgame locker room. Calipari said he wasn’t sure if Washington would be able to play at No. 19 Tennessee on Tuesday night.
“It’ll probably be day to day,” the UK coach said.
Calipari later added that there was an X-ray taken on Washington’s leg in the second half and implied that the result of that test was positive news. He said it was too early to say how quickly Washington might return to the court, but it appears the Kentucky star will not miss a substantial amount of time.
Washington left the game with 12:50 remaining and the Wildcats leading, 52-42. Kentucky ended up defeating the Gators, 78-57, to improve to 21-4 on the season.
The freshman guard was just 4-for-13 from the field against Florida, but he had 10 points, five rebounds, six assists and zero turnovers at the time of the injury. Washington injured his left ankle midway through the first half of Kentucky’s game at No. 1 Auburn last month and missed the remainder of that game and the Wildcats’ next game as a result of the injury.
Washington is now averaging 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists this season. He’s projected as an NBA lottery pick in the 2022 draft.
The Wildcats were already playing without reserve forward Jacob Toppin, who injured his ankle earlier in the week against South Carolina and was ruled out of Saturday’s game.
This story was originally published February 12, 2022 at 5:45 PM.
