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Mark Stoops wants to make spring practice change to avoid injuries

Injuries are forcing Stoops to reconsider how his team practices in the spring.

Mark Stoops Jason Marcum - Sea of Blue

With basketball season now over, Kentucky’s sports focus now shifts towards the football field and spring practice. After Tuesday’s practice, though, head coach Mark Stoops has some decisions to make regarding how they go about their spring workouts.

Due to cold weather, practice was moved inside of Nutter Field House. Soon after, though, it was moved back outside due to injuries suffered on the indoor field. Lynn Bowden Jr. got hurt, while redshirt freshman running back Kavosiey Smoke was unable to finish practice.

“I had to get out of the indoor. I gotta rethink practicing in the spring in the morning,” said Stoops.

Even though the indoor space is made to be a safety net in case the Wildcats are unable to get outside, the walls and turf don’t compare to the grass and space they have on the outdoor field.

Kentucky certainly could start practicing outdoors once it warms up in the afternoon, but the player’s academics have improved when they get the practice out of the way in the morning. For as long as Stoops has been head coach, they have had morning practice throughout the spring, so they’re used to it as well.

“With the weather being so cold in the morning, I might have to rethink it, cause that indoor, I just can’t get the work done in there,” said Stoops.

When you put it in perspective, where they practice isn’t as important as how they practice or if they practice at all. For the safety and overall benefit of his players, though, Stoops has some decisions to make regarding where and when the Wildcats practice.