Calipari: Sahvir Wheeler, CJ Fredrick 'Really Working Hard to Come Back.' Status Uncertain for Both Ahead of Florida
Kentucky head coach John Calipari had no significant update on the status of injured guards Sahvir Wheeler and CJ Fredrick during his weekly call-in radio show on Monday night.
It's been four games without Wheeler (ankle) and three without Fredrick (ribs) for the Wildcats.
Wheeler's ankle injury was picked up in practice before UK's game against Arkansas on Feb. 7. In the game prior against Florida, Fredrick suffered his cracked rib injury, running into a cameraman after making a layup. He played through the pain against the Razorbacks, but has since sat out.
Now, there's no certainty on whether or not either veteran will be available to take on the Gators in Gainesville on Wednesday night. When asked about the status of the two, Calipari gave a brief update, albeit a positive one.
“Both of those two are really working hard to come back," he told Tom Leach. "They want to play for this team. They want to play for the fans. But, they got to be healthy. All the doctors, trainers, everybody says they’re both really working hard to come back, but you know, you trust the kids. They only know their pain. No one else does.”
Kentucky's starters have learned to play with a much heavier workload during the absence of both players. That continued in the Wildcats' 66-54 win over Tennessee over the weekend, as four starters eclipsed 30 minutes, while shooting guard Antonio Reeves played 29.
Stress is especially placed on starting point guard Cason Wallace, as without Wheeler, the line of defense behind the freshman is fellow freshman Adou Thiero, who has hardly played meaningful minutes all season. Wallace played 39 minutes on Saturday, scoring 16 points while adding six rebounds and six assists.
During the four-game stretch, UK started 0-2 but has since acquired two crucial Quadrant 1 victories, throwing the train back on the tracks with just two weeks left in the regular season.
Wildcats Today will have updates on the injuries in the lead-up to Kentucky's second matchup against Florida. Tipoff between the Cats and Gators inside the O'Connell Center is set for 7 p.m. EST this Wednesday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
You can find out more about where Kentucky stands in the NET, its March Madness résumé, its SEC Tournament outlook and more, here.
More on Kentucky's win over Tennessee HERE.
COLUMN: Calipari's "refuse to lose" mantra becoming Kentucky's golden gimmick
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