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UPDATE 2
John Calipari addressed the status of PJ Washington during an appearance on The Jim Rome Show.
UPDATE
It appears PJ Washington is set to make his much-anticipated return this week.
Another season, another mysterious injury with an indefinite timeline that seems to dominate media coverage.
PJ Washington’s injury really does not compare to last season’s situation with Jarred Vanderbilt, but the urgency to get information has been similar as the Big Dance rolls on.
We had all heard that Washington was going to get his cast off on Tuesday and be re-evaluated.
Now, WKYT has confirmed the news that Washington did in fact get his cast off Tuesday. However, it’s unclear if the All-American forward has been given the green light to resume light activity.
PJ Washington’s cast on his foot was removed yesterday, according to a source familiar with the situation.
Washington’s status for Friday night’s Sweet 16 game with 3-seed Houston is still in doubt as of Wednesday morning. Washington was back in Wisconsin for the second time in a week to see a specialist.
The specialist Washington likely was in Wisconsin was Dr. Robert Anderson, who many regard as the best in the business when it comes to foot and ankle injuries. He works with the Green Bay Packers, and you can read more about him here.
As a team, of course you want to keep these things close to the chest. And with PJ’s injury, it has legitimately seemed like a day-to-day situation. It certainly looked suspicious that the boot appeared before an injury had been identified, and then that “precautionary” measure was escalated to a cast and a scooter.
But with the lack of clarity in his status for the Sweet 16, the speculation has dominated the media coverage in Kentucky, as well as social media for Wildcats fans everywhere.
And for what it’s worth, ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg said Tuesday that he thinks Washington will play this weekend. Maybe it’s a pure coincidence, but this did come on the same day Washington had his cast removed.
No matter what you hear, treat it with a grain of salt until you see the Kentucky Wildcats on the floor against the Houston Cougars Friday night. That may be the first time we know PJ’s status for certain for the Sweet 16.