Kentucky "holding down the fort" until Lyles can play again

By LARRY VAUGHT

With freshman forward Trey Lyles out due to illness, Kentucky coach John Calipari says he is basically “holding down the fort” until he can play again and the team can “start to grow again” with Lyles in the lineup.

On the Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference today, Calipari said he didn’t “have any sense right now” about Lyles’ status other than the training sheet said he could “go limited” in practice Monday for the first time since he became ill two weeks ago.

“I don’t know if he will travel (to LSU for Tuesday night’s game). If I don’t think he will play or I will use him, he won’t travel,” said Calipari. “We are holding down the fort without him.”

Kentucky was beat badly on the boards by Georgia without Lyles, but came back Saturday to outrebound Florida. Monday he said it was “just the time of year” for players to have bumps and bruises.

“The reason we outrebounded Florida is because our guards rebounded,” Calipari said. “The game before our guards were outrebounded by 12. We outrebounded Florida’s guards by 13. Trey makes a big difference because we usually have an advantage with him in there.”

Calipari also said after the win at Florida Saturday that his team was battling several nagging injuries.

“Long season. Our season has stretched out. It started down in the Bahamas (in August). It is a long year,” Calipari said.

He says he tries to give the team two days per week off — one day is for individual workouts, weightlifting and film — to help keep them fresh. “At the end of the year, I want fresh minds, fresh legs,” the coach said. “Trying to make sure our whole thing is you have energy, so go use it in the game.”