In their first game back since the 67-64 loss to Evansville, Kentucky will be without Immanuel Quickley and EJ Montgomery, two players that were hoping to take a big leap forward this season.
Quickley will be missing his first game. He was one of the most important players on the floor against Evansville, scoring 16 points. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 14.0 points per game this season.
As for Montgomery, his absence was one of the many reasons Kentucky didn’t look great in their lasting outing. He’ll be out another game with an ankle injury. This marks his third-straight game on the sideline.
.@KentuckyMBB's early misfortunes with injuries will spill into tonight's contest.@IQ_GodSon is out for tonight with a chest injury he sustained this weekend in practice.@EJMontgomery23 will miss his third straight game with a right ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/PzBlVSk51D
— Kentucky MBB Stats & Info (@UKMBBStatsInfo) November 18, 2019
The Wildcats are yet again favored by over 20 points, entering the game projected to win by over 24 points. That said, it’s another opportunity for letdown from coach Cal’s squad if they can’t find consistent scoring from either Tyrese Maxey or Ashton Hagans.
Those two in the backcourt and Jalen Richards hovering the paint will be the three main forces for the Wildcats tonight. Kentucky is also patiently waiting for five-star recruit Kahlil Whitney to elevate his game that showed so much promise in high school.
Overall, this should be a win if the Wildcats bring their A game, but after last week, let’s not assume anything with this inexperienced team.