Kentucky guards TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler both out for LSU game
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Game day: No. 6 Kentucky 71, LSU 66
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Wednesday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and LSU in Rupp Arena.
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The Kentucky Wildcats will be without starting guards TyTy Washington and Sahvir Wheeler for the second consecutive game Wednesday night.
Both Washington and Wheeler have been ruled out of UK’s home game against Louisiana State with lingering injuries.
Washington suffered a lower left leg injury in a collision during Kentucky’s win over Florida on Feb. 12. He missed the end of that game but attempted a return in UK’s game at Tennessee three days later. Washington re-aggravated the injury in Knoxville and was removed from that loss shortly after halftime.
Wheeler appeared to be favoring his wrist at the end of the UK-Tennessee game.
Kentucky lost 65-60 at LSU in early January in a game in which Washington and Wheeler missed key moments due to injury. Both players were also injured for parts of UK’s losses at Auburn and Tennessee, though the Cats have arguably been as impressive as any team in the country when completely healthy.
Kentucky has also been effective when able to game plan with the knowledge that key players will be out with injuries.
Washington and Wheeler were sidelined against Alabama on Saturday, and Kentucky beat the Crimson Tide 90-81, bolstered by a makeshift starting lineup consisting of Davion Mintz, Kellan Grady, Keion Brooks, Jacob Toppin and Oscar Tshiebwe that played nearly all of the second half together.
Kentucky Coach John Calipari has stressed the need for the Wildcats to be fully healthy for the postseason, and he’s said repeatedly over the past week and a half that he would rather sit players now and let them heal than take nagging injuries into March.
UK has three regular-season games remaining, with a major matchup at No. 18 Arkansas coming Saturday. The Cats are back home Tuesday night against Mississippi, and then they’ll cap the regular season at Florida next weekend.
Kentucky is currently projected as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cats went into Wednesday one game behind Auburn in the Southeastern Conference standings, occupying the No. 2 spot with just a half-game lead on SEC foes Arkansas and Tennessee.
This story was originally published February 23, 2022 at 8:39 PM.
