Denver Jones injury update: Bruce Pearl reveals if Auburn guard was close to playing vs. Texas A&M

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl provided some more information on the status of guard Denver Jones, who sat out Tuesday’s game against Texas A&M due to an ankle injury. Pearl was adamant in his postgame press conference that the Tigers did not hold Jones out as a precautionary measure.

Instead, Pearl said that he wanted the guard to play and that he would have if he were healthy enough. Auburn certainly could have used him as it would go on to suffer an 83-72 loss to the Aggies.

“We really missed his defense and his leadership, and he couldn’t go,” Pearl said. “We’re not saving him. If he could’ve played, he was gonna play. It was a game-time decision and I was hoping he could play through the pain because he doesn’t have a bone bruise and he doesn’t have a break. It’s a soft tissue issue and it’s painful and just didn’t feel like he could push up the floor.”

Given the fact that he was a game-time decision, it’s a possibility that Jones could return for the regular season finale against Alabama on Saturday. Tuesday marked the first game he sat out all season and, given the result, the Tigers are surely eager to get him back.

Jones is averaging 10.7 points per game on the season and is one of the team’s best 3-point shooters with a 43.7% clip from beyond the arc. The Tigers also missed his defense and playmaking ability, averaging 2.4 assists per game.

Tahaad Pettiford entered the starting lineup in his place and finished with a team-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting from 3-point. He’ll likely see another start against the Crimson Tide if Jones can’t go.

Auburn was No. 1 in the country and projected as the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament before the loss to Texas A&M. With a 27-3 (15-2 SEC) record still, however, their standing as a No. 1 seed at the least is fairly safe at this point.

Denver Jones will have a few days to recover from his injury before the Tigers take on Alabama in the classic “Iron Bowl of Basketball.” Tip-off for that contest is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Auburn.

Saturday’s game will also mark Senior Day at Auburn as Jones and others stand to be honored. For that reason, one would imagine he would do everything in his power to play in front of the home crowd at Neville Arena one last time.