DJ Wagner out vs. UNC Wilmington with 'lower extremity' injury, labeled day to day

Kentucky freshman guard DJ Wagner will not play on Saturday against UNC Wilmington due to a lower extremity injury, the basketball team has announced.

Wagner was injured during Tuesday’s blowout victory over Miami and did not return. He was favoring his leg before leaving the game and was considered questionable coming into the weekend. Now, the team has officially labeled him day-to-day.

Before the injury, he was averaging 14.5 points per game along with 3.7 assists per game and shooting 41% from the field.

Now, the former five-star recruit averages 13.1 points and 3.3 assists out of John Calipari’s backcourt. Reed Sheppard — who has emerged as one of the most productive freshman in the country over the first month of the season — or Adou Thiero can be expected to start in Wagner’s place.

Kentucky Sports Radio’s Zach Geoghegan reported earlier in the week that basketball insider Adam Zagoria noted that Wagner is “good,” but “a little sore.” That report leads one to believe the injury won’t be hindering the former blue chip recruit as Kentucky heads into its five-game December slate.

Tip-off between UK and UNCW is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET live on the SEC Network. Kentucky is an 18.5-point betting favorite inside Rupp Arena.

More on DJ Wagner

DJ Wagner Jr. was a household name in the basketball world long before he ever stepped on the court in a college or pro uniform. Wagner is the son of a former Memphis star and NBA player Dajuan Wagner. Plus, he’s the grandson of Louisville legend and NBA player “Ice Man” Milt Wagner.

DJ Wagner grabbed headlines first in middle school and on the AAU circuit for his high-end motor and defensive prowess. He led Camden High to the state title in 2022 and was named as the Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey. Wagner also built himself up as a major brand, inking early on with WME Sports for NIL representation while still in high school. During his time at Camden, he also executed NIL deals with Nike and Drake’s Nike sub-label NOCTA.

Coming into Kentucky, Wagner played high school basketball at Camden (NJ), where he was a Five-Star-Plus+ prospect. He was the No. 7 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle and the No. 1 combo guard in the class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services.