Kentucky Basketball: Two Kentucky Big Men Out For Big Blue Bahamas

Some bad news today for the Big Blue Nation. Incoming freshman Trey Lyles has had some kind of medical procedure (what it is we do not know, and likely won't) will not be playing during the Big Blue Bahamas trip. Per John Clay:

John Calipari says Trey Lyles had a medical procedure performed on his left leg and will not play during UK basketball’s August trip to the Bahamas. Lyles should be ready for Big Blue Madness.

So the news isn't all bad. The thing is, the Bahamas trip is a real opportunity for the team to get in a lot of early practice, and get a chance to get a feel for each other on the court in competition. Obviously, the fact that Willie Cauley-Stein's surgery would not allow him to compete (well, perhaps he could, but he's not going to) was something we already knew or at least suspected.

The good news, I guess, is that with Kentucky's surfeit of big men, these are losses the team can theoretically absorb, although I don't know if you can ever really absorb the loss of an athletic freak like WCS. But it looks like both of them will be back and ready for Big Blue Madness, and that's a good thing.

As for the Big Blue Bahamas, I suspect that Marcus Lee, Dakari Johnson, and Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. will be getting tons of valuable minutes, and possibly Derek Willis as well. That can't hurt a thing, and since this trip really is more about getting a feel for each other and learning the college game, it may wind up being a net advantage except for Lyles, who could really use the opportunity.

Alas, injuries are part of basketball.