Kentucky basketball’s Cason Wallace leaves home loss to Vanderbilt with leg injury
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Game day: Vanderbilt 68, Kentucky 66
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Wednesday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Vanderbilt in Rupp Arena.
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Kentucky’s startling Senior Night home loss to Vanderbilt didn’t only feature a disappointing home loss to a nearby rival, but also a potentially significant injury to a star UK player.
UK freshman guard Cason Wallace left the second half of the game against the Commodores with an injury to his lower left leg. Wallace didn’t return to the contest.
The injury occurred during an offensive possession for the Cats with about 18:20 to go in the second half.
Wallace spent time on the bench with Kentucky’s athletic training staff after walking to the bench slowly following the injury.
He attempted to stand up and put weight on the left side of his body, then immediately sat down. He later walked to the UK locker room slowly, under his own power.
Wallace didn’t return from the UK locker room during the remainder of the game, which was won by Vanderbilt, 68-66.
Postgame, Kentucky head coach John Calipari said that x-rays taken of Wallace came back negative.
“Cason, they X-rayed. He’s fine. It’s not swelled,” Calipari said. “I’m hoping he will be OK for Saturday (at Arkansas), but I don’t know.”
Wallace finished the game with six points on 2-for-7 shooting.
He had played 20 minutes with a plus/minus of negative nine.
Wallace played in 29 of UK’s 30 games this season, but battled injury earlier this season after he suffered a back injury during a home loss to South Carolina.
Wallace also missed UK’s road win at Ole Miss with an injury.
Wallace’s injury wasn’t the only significant injury storyline to emerge during Wednesday night’s game, either.
Early in the first half, star Vanderbilt big man Liam Robbins went down with a left leg injury and didn’t return to the contest.
Kentucky’s backcourt depth takes a hit
In addition to the injury suffered by Wallace during Wednesday night’s game, Kentucky’s backcourt depth also took a hit earlier in the day.
Calipari announced Wednesday afternoon that senior guard Sahvir Wheeler underwent a minor medical procedure and wouldn’t take part in Senior Night while he recovered.
Wheeler has now missed seven straight games for the Wildcats. The previous six were related to a right ankle injury.
After Wednesday’s loss to Vanderbilt, Calipari said it will be a couple weeks until Wheeler can return for UK.
“My guess right now — and what the doctors told me — it’s going to be a couple weeks,” Calipari said. “Or, at least, that’s what they think.”
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 8:38 PM.
