Cats bracing for playing without Lyles
It was Trey Lyles who stepped into a starting role when Alex Poythress went down early in the season.
Now it's Lyles who's leaving a void to be filled.
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The freshman forward missed Kentucky's win over Alabama last Saturday with an undisclosed illness that is expected to linger at least until the Cats host Georgia (14-6, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) on Tuesday.
"Trey Lyles being out -- we don't believe he'll play Tuesday and don't know after that -- but we're going to try to figure that out," John Calipari said on the weekly SEC coaches' teleconference Monday. "We had to play without him. I thought (Alabama on Saturday) was a great win without him. I mean, you're talking about a 6-10 talented, talented player, and we're playing without him now. I thought we played well without him, but we're never going to be as good without him, because he's a really good player."
Assistant coach Barry Rohrssen said the staff would have more information on Lyles' status going forward after Monday's practice.
"You know what, don't fully know the extent of his illness and haven't seen him yet today," Rohrssen said. "Just about to head out to practice. I'll catch up with him shortly."
Without Lyles on the floor, UK could move to a three-guard lineup as it has done at times in SEC play, just for extended stretches. Calipari has five able-bodied perimeter players to choose from now: Andrew Harrison, Aaron Harrison and Dominique Hawkins can open the game, and with Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker on the bench, mix-and-match options are plentiful.
But Rohrssen said rotations are decided situationally. While Kentucky can deploy shooting and speed with three guards, some matchups will call for more muscle down low. That's where losing Lyles can hurt.
"When shots are going in and you can look at three people out there it depends on what you need at the time," Rohrssen said. "Again, shots were falling the other night. That was great. Maybe you give something up on the rebounding side when you're playing a smaller lineup or basically a perimeter lineup as opposed to an interior lineup."
Hawkins thinks the entire team will have to find ways to limit the impact Lyles' loss has on both offense and defense.
"We miss length and athleticism with Trey (out)," Hawkins said. "Rebounding, definitely, and also offensive threat in the paint and on the corner jumpers. Trey, he brings a lot to the game. And like I said, a lot of people are going to have to step up now."
Dakari Johnson agrees. Without Lyles, everyone -- Derek Willis included -- will be counted on to contribute.
"It's the next-man-up mentality," Johnson said. "The same people are going to get their chance to play - you know, Derek - and everybody just has to do a little bit more. (Lyles is) a real good player, and we can't replace that, so everybody's going to have to step up."
Game/Series Information
Game Information
Site: Rupp Arena (24,000), Lexington, Ky.
TV: SEC Network (Brad Nessler play-by-play, Sean Farnham analyst, Shannon Spake sideline)
Radio: UK IMG Sports Network (Tom Leach play-by-play, Mike Pratt analyst); Sirius 93/XM 190
Favorite: Kentucky by 19
Series Information
Series record: Kentucky leads 118-26
At Lexington: Kentucky leads 57-5
Coaches' records: Calipari 7-2 vs. Georgia; Fox 2-7 vs. Kentucky
Last meeting: Kentucky 70, Alabama 58
(March 15, 2014 | Atlanta | SEC Tournament Semifinal.)
Aaron Harrison scored 22 points and brother Andrew Harrison had nine assists as the Wildcats broke open a close game in the second half and advanced to the SEC Tournament title game. James Young had 14 points and Julius Randle 12 points and 11 rebounds for Kentucky, which never trailed and led by as many as 16 points in the second half. The Cats made 9 of 16 three-point field goals. Aaron Harrison was 4 of 7 from long range.
Game Storylines
1. Thornton Out: Georgia will be without its leading scorer and rebounder, forward Marcus Thornton, for Tuesday's game. Thornton missed the Bulldogs' loss at South Carolina last Saturday with a concussion and was ruled out for UK on Monday. Thornton averages 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Georgia also has been without guards Juwan Parker (Achilles) and Kenny Paul Geno (wrist). "We'll make some adjustments if (Thornton) cannot play, but it's more than just Marcus," Georgia coach Mark Fox said. "We've just got a number of guys down as you know, and the cumulative effect of that took its toll last weekend."
2. Foul Play: With or without Thornton, Georgia will look to attack and draw fouls, and it does the latter better than any team in the SEC. The Bulldogs have shot a league-high 547 free throws this season. That was the 10th-most free throw attempts in Division I basketball entering this week's games. Georgia has made 374 free throws, the most in the SEC and the 14th-most in the nation.
3. No Wins vs. Ones: Georgia is 0-14 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams. The Bulldogs' last game against a top-ranked team came on Nov. 19, 2012, when they lost 66-53 to No. 1 Indiana in Brooklyn, N.Y.
--Brett Dawson