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UPDATE
The Kentucky wildcats will once again be without the services of freshman guard Terrence Clarke, who will miss his third-straight game with a right leg injury.
We get @KeionB_12 back today but we still aren't at full strength. @terrenceclarke_ will miss his third straight game with a right leg injury. pic.twitter.com/bgZ85Rrrt9
— Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 9, 2021
The good news is Keion Brooks Jr. will make his debut today. However, assistant coach Jai Lucas said Friday that Brooks will be eased into the lineup, so don’t expect the sophomore forward to log 20+ minutes right out of the gate.
It appears the Kentucky Wildcats will be without Terrence Clarke when they face the Florida Gators in Gainesville.
On Friday, assistant coach Jai Lucas met with the media to preview Saturday’s big SEC matchup, and he guessed Clarke would not play this weekend.
Jai Lucas tells reporters he doesn't expect Terrence Clarke (ankle) to play Saturday vs. Florida. "I would say at this moment it's up in the air but I would probably tend to say no." Said medical staff is working to get Clarke as "pain free as possible."
— Tyler Thompson (@MrsTylerKSR) January 8, 2021
Clarke is recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the loss to North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic. He tried to play the following week at Louisville but was ineffective in 16 scoreless minutes. He’s missed the following two games since then and appears set to miss a third.
The freshman guard has averaged 10.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in seven games this season. He had become Kentucky’s starting point guard before his injury, though Devin Askew and Davion Mintz have been effective running the point since Clarke went out.
The good news for Kentucky is Keion Brooks Jr. is set to make his debut Saturday, so hopefully his production can offset the loss of Clarke. But since this is Brooks’ first game of the season, I’d expect him to play around 10-12 minutes as he slowly gets back up to speed and establishes chemistry with his new teammates.
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