Kyle Boone of CBS Sports says that Kentucky can’t win it all without PJ Washington.
Allow me to break some very non-breaking, very non-surprising news: One of the best teams without its best player is not at its best without said best player.
Kentucky survived Saturday. Barely. And it did so by doing something well it hadn’t done well most of the season: Defending the 3-point line. They forced a very good offensive team in Wofford to shoot just 8 of 27 from three-point range, and the Terriers’ best player, Fletcher Magee, missed all 12 of his triples in part because UK hounded him on the perimeter.
But the difference between ‘Wow, that was a great defensive outing’ and ‘Wow, I can’t believe Kentucky choked and is going home before the Sweet 16′ is a Magee three dropping here or there, a couple of defensive missteps. The Cats’ win Saturday was impressive, but it’s also more evidence that Kentucky without PJ Washington — who is dealing with a sprained foot and has missed both of Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament games — is far from unbeatable.
“I may not be showing it right now, but I’m ecstatic when my team wins,” said John Calipari, adding that PJ Washington’s absence could have affected how UK closed.
Read “2019 NCAA Tournament takeaways: Auburn and Michigan lead dominant day for favorites, Tom Izzo keeps winning in March” by clicking here.
It was obvious the Cats missed PJ Washington’s presence down low, which magnifies Tuesday/Wednesday’s report of how the sophomore forward’s injury has healed when the cast is reportedly to be taken off.
Feature Image: Big Blue Express
