Update: Kentucky will likely be without its best player for the entire first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Wildcats coach John Calipari didn't officially rule forward PJ Washington out for Saturday's second-round game against Wofford but didn't sound optimistic that he would be able to play. Washington has been nursing a foot injury.
Cal says he can’t imagine @PJWashington being able to play tomorrow but has not definitively ruled him out. Will see tomorrow. "I know this, he really wants to play. But I need him to be healthy." pic.twitter.com/hOha1yE5Hs
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) March 22, 2019
That game will tip off at 2:40 p.m. ET in Jacksonville. The Terriers are legit, and their only losses this season came against power programs. If Washington can't play, and it doesn't sound like he will, Wofford is certainly formidable enough to pull the upset.
Original story
Kentucky forward PJ Washington has been ruled out of the Wildcats' first-round game against No. 15 seed Abilene Christian due to a sprained foot, coach John Calipari announced on Thursday.
Washington was listed as probable to play on Wednesday ahead of the game, but a trip to see a specialist led to UK holding him out.
"The specialists confirmed our original diagnosis that PJ Washington has a sprained foot and there is no fracture," Calipari said. "Once we determined that PJ was not going to play today, they put him in a hard cast for precautionary reasons. He is out for today's game."
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Washington is the leading scorer and rebounder on the season for the No. 2 seed Wildcats, and has emerged over the last six weeks as its best player. Without him, EJ Montgomery could play a larger role at the forward, or small forward Keldon Johnson could potentially see more time at the power forward spot in a small-ball lineup.
The Wildcats play Abilene Christian on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS, March Madness Live and fuboTV.
