Kentucky Wildcats sophomore big man Willie Cauley-Stein left early in the first half of the Wildcats' tilt with in-state rival Louisville in the Sweet 16 with an apparent ankle injury. Update: Kentucky has announced he will not return.
The loss of Cauley-Stein could be a big one both figuratively and literally, as he was averaging over 24 minutes per game for the Wildcats and pulled down over six rebounds per game. John Calipari will have to use a smaller lineup without the seven-footer, or play freshman Dakari Johnson. Alex Poythress, 6'8 a fellow sophomore, came in immediately to replace Cauley-Stein.
Poythress saw his minutes go down this season with the arrival of Julius Randle and the growth of Cauley-Stein, averaging 18 minutes per game, but will be counted on to play a big role for the team in the rest of the game against Louisville, as Cauley-Stein was seen walking to the locker room and is still not on the UK sideline.