UK basketball wasn’t at full strength, again, for record-breaking home loss to Gonzaga
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Game day: Gonzaga 89, No. 17 Kentucky 85
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Gonzaga in Rupp Arena.
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For the 23rd game this season, the Kentucky men’s basketball team was at less than full strength.
The No. 17-ranked Wildcats are still yet to have all scholarship players available for a game during the 2023-24 season, and that trend continued during Saturday’s home loss to Gonzaga.
While freshman guard D.J. Wagner returned to the UK lineup after missing three games with an ankle injury, fifth-year forward Tre Mitchell didn’t play for the Wildcats as he continues to deal with a back injury.
Wagner played 13 minutes, mostly in the first half, and finished with three points, one assist and one steal. He didn’t start Saturday’s game.
Both Mitchell and Wagner were out for UK on Tuesday night when Kentucky scored an SEC win at Vanderbilt.
Following that victory over the Commodores, Kentucky head coach John Calipari hinted that the Wildcats would be at full strength in a couple weeks.
“In another week or two, we’re going to have 11 guys,” Calipari said Tuesday. “We’re going to have 11 guys, and they all can play. So, I’d rather have that than four guys.”
Calipari didn’t discuss the injury status of Wagner or Mitchell after Saturday’s home loss to Gonzaga.
Only two Kentucky players — fifth-year guard Antonio Reeves and freshman guard Reed Sheppard — have played in every game this season for the Wildcats. A third UK player, Jordan Burks, has been available for every game this season.
Kentucky has had eight players combine to miss a total of 48 games this season due to injury, illness or other availability reasons.
How has Kentucky’s fluctuating roster availability been managed by coaches and players this season?
“So (when) we get healthy, I think we’ll be fine that’s another big part of it,” Bruiser Flint, Kentucky’s associate to the head coach, said earlier this week. “But we haven’t had a full team all season. So, when we do get our depth, when we do get guys back… I think we’ll be fine.”
Tre Mitchell out for Kentucky basketball against Gonzaga
Mitchell missed his first game of the season, and his first game as a Kentucky Wildcat, earlier this week when UK won at Vanderbilt. Sophomore Adou Thiero replaced Mitchell in the UK starting lineup for that game.
Mitchell’s second injury absence of the season came Saturday against Gonzaga. Thiero, who scored 15 points and blocked three shots, again took the place of Mitchell in UK’s starting five.
Mitchell is averaging 12.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists this season, but he hasn’t been himself recently.
In last week’s home loss to Florida, Mitchell scored just five points and missed all five of his 3-point shots. He hauled in nine rebounds and recorded three assists against the Gators.
In last weekend’s home loss to Tennessee, Mitchell played a season-low 24 minutes and missed all three of his shots. He failed to score in a game for the first time since February 2023, when Mitchell was at West Virginia.
D.J. Wagner returns for Kentucky basketball
A 6-foot-4 freshman guard, Wagner came into Saturday’s game averaging 12 points and 3.7 assists across 18 games played (all starts) this season.
But he was only a footnote against Gonzaga: Wagner played just one minute in the second half, the fewest of the 10 UK players that made an in-game appearance after the break.
As had been the case when Wagner was out injured, freshman guard Reed Sheppard took his place in UK’s starting lineup on Saturday.
Sheppard led the Wildcats with 21 points, all of which came in the second half, but also had four turnovers, including a critical failed lob pass to Thiero with just seconds to go and UK down only two points.
This story was originally published February 10, 2024 at 2:45 PM.
