Ailing Kentucky standout Washington expected to play vs. Abilene Christian
Although he's been in a walking boot since Sunday, Kentucky expects to have leading scorer PJ Washington in the lineup for Thursday's March Madness opener against No. 15-seed Abilene Christian.
Washington sprained his foot in the Wildcats' loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals, but the team is optimistic about the standout sophomore's outlook.
"MRIs and X-rays came back negative. PJ wants to play," coach John Calipari said at Wednesday's press conference, according to WYMT-TV. "He was sent to a specialist to make sure that he can't harm himself. But we expect him to play."
A 6-foot-8 forward, Washington leads the team with 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, adding 1.9 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 41.9 percent from the 3-point line.
The revelation that Washington might be at less than full strength elicited a classic response from Abilene Christian's bench boss at his press conference Wednesday:
Abilene Christian Coach Joe Golding on PJ Washington: "If he shows up in a boot, we have a chance. If he takes the boot off, we've got a problem." Then Golding added, "He's one of eight problems we have."
— Jerry Tipton (@JerryTipton) March 20, 2019