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The Kentucky Wildcats and Big Blue Nation were holding their breath late in Saturday’s win over Missouri, as All-SEC point guard Ashton Hagans limped off the court with what looked like a significant injury.
Initially, the fear was it was an Achilles injury, perhaps even a tear, which is one of the worst injuries an athlete can suffer.
Thankfully, that did not occur, according to head coach John Calipari, who says it was ‘just’ an ankle injury.
Calipari says NOT Achilles for Hagans. "That was my one fear." It's an ankle. Low-ankle.
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) January 4, 2020
Cal with the best news imaginable for Kentucky: "You know a high-ankle takes like two weeks. A low-ankle takes like 18 hours, so he'll be fine." https://t.co/FPCEQB3e3Q
— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) January 4, 2020
That’s pretty much the best news UK could have gotten when Hagans went down with a non-contact injury. It sounds like the most he’ll miss is a week or two, if even that, but he should be considered questionable for Tuesday vs. the Georgia Bulldogs.
UK’s backcourt was already thin entering today’s game after Johnny Juzang did not play for unspecified reasons. After the game, Calipari revealed Juzang is battling an illness that is keeping him away from the team.
Cal: Juzang separated from the team because he has a virus. Ellen made hiom vegan cookies. I brought them to him and slid them under the door.
— Jerry Tipton (@JerryTipton) January 4, 2020
Calipari added that Juzang is unlikely to travel to Athens on Tuesday. If Hagans and Juzang were to miss the game, UK would be down to Immanuel Quickley and Tyrese Maxey as the only true scholarship guards.
That may result in a loss, but at least Hagans isn’t lost for the season. That could have been a Nerlens Noel-type of crippling loss for these Cats.