Positive update on Reid Travis, who may play vs. Florida

The Kentucky Wildcats hope to have Reid Travis back in game action soon. Will he return Saturday for Senior Day when the Florida Gators come to Rupp Arena?

Travis has been sidelined since injuring his knee against Missouri on February 19th. While the MRI only revealed a sprained right knee, it has still taken time for the graduate transfer to get back on the court.

Since injuring his knee, Travis had been unable to fully practice for the last two weeks. Prior to Tuesday’s win over Ole Miss, John Calipari revealed that Travis had yet to practice, though he was running full speed on the treadmill.

However, UK radio commentator Mike Pratt gave a very encouraging update on Friday about Travis’ status for Saturday (via TJ Walker):

The fact that Travis has progressed enough to decide when he’ll play alone is great news. You have to think he’ll want to get on the court Saturday if the medical staff clears him, as he’s been targeting a return for Senior Day since the injury occurred.

Travis currently ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game and second in rebounds with 6.9 per game. But much of what he brings to the table can’t be measured on a stat sheet.

Whether it is defending the opponent’s best frontcourt player, setting bone-crunching screens or clearing the lane for other players to come in and hit the boards, Travis is vital to Kentucky’s hopes of making it to the Final Four.

The good news is EJ Montgomery and Nick Richards have gotten more run recently, and it’s helped them grow more comfortable with bigger roles, though they’re still not able to do what Travis does for Kentucky.

Hopefully, Travis is back on the court when the Cats host the Gators on Saturday.