Kentucky freshman Willie Cauley-Stein will likely miss Saturday’s game against Auburn because of a knee injury, head coach John Calipari confirmed at his pregame news conference on Friday.
Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein sidelined with knee injury
Kentucky freshman Willie-Cauley Stein will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time because of a knee injury, which means a handful of other Wildcats will have a key opportunity to step up.
Andy Lyons
A UK spokesman confirmed earlier in the day that Cauley-Stein underwent what he called “minor” knee surgery. Cauley-Stein had problems with the knee throughout high school, but apparently could have played through this injury had he needed to.
“It’s all good,” Calipari said. “We’re just one short for a while.”
Though it’s uncertain just how long Cauley-Stein will be sidelined, Glenn Logan of A Sea of Blue believes this could present an opportunity to shine for multiple other Wildcats.
This is going to force Kyle Wiltjer into a lot more time, and he and Alex Poythress are going to have to step up defensively, and in rebounding. WCS hasn’t put up dazzling numbers, but his presence has been a big factor in Kentucky’s success so far this year (such as it is).
This could also be an opportunity for little-used Jon Hood to step up and get some meaningful minutes, if he has recovered from his bout with mononucleosis. If not, Kentucky is going to be very thin and quite a bit smaller than it has been all year.
Cauley-Stein is currently averaging 7.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. The 7-footer has also been an important presence on the defensive end, where he’s averaging 1.9 blocks.
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