John Calipari provides update Ugonna Onyenso, Aaron Bradshaw recovery timelines

Kentucky basketball is down two seven-footers — Ugonna Onyenso and Aaron Bradshaw — with tip-off just weeks away. On Wednesday, head coach John Calipari provided an update on both.

Calipari spoke as part of SEC Media Day this week and was asked about one of the key storylines in the lead-up to the season: Kentucky’s injured big men. Here was the update he gave on them:

“Look, they’re on the right path, both of them. Ugo is a little behind Aaron because of the timing of the injury and his surgery but they’re both progressing really good.”

Calipari said roughly a week ago during the Kentucky pro day that Bradshaw and Onyenso would be out another 5-6 weeks and also said that he wishes he hadn’t revealed that timeline, in case it happens to take longer.

Now, he’s indicated that Onyenso’s recovery is taking a bit longer than the freshman Bradshaw’s. So fans can hopefully expect the 7’1 five-star to suit up sooner rather than later.

More on Bradshaw, Onyenso injuries

The problem is… for seven-footers like Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso, lower-leg injuries are killers. Bradshaw is sidelined after breaking his foot this past spring, a brutal setback for the incoming freshman and the No. 4 overall player in the On3 Industry Rankings.

Then injury didn’t get Bradshaw down, though, and he was optimistic about his recovery once he received news that the foot was broken. However, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t upset at having to miss time on the court.

“It’s been hell, I’m not gonna lie,” Bradshaw told Cameron Mills on Behind Kentucky Basketball. “Just overcoming a lot of things.”

To coach himself through the recovery process, Bradshaw is looking to role models like Michael Jordan and LeBron James.

“Not really (concerned), you feel me? That’s just a little setback, that’s just a little bump in the road,” he said. “If I dwell on that and keep saying, ‘Oh, I’m hurt,’ you’re never going to go anywhere…’ It’s a part of the game. Everybody gets hurt. (Michael) Jordan went through the flu, Bron got his ankle (injury), everybody goes through something. I can’t get mad or frustrated that it happened to me.”

It’s true, injuries come for every athlete at some point in their career, no matter how great the player.

On the other hand, this update is rough news for Ugo Onyenso. The rising sophomore was set to play a huge role for a Kentucky team that needed depth at center. Now, it’s possible he could be out for a month or more to start the season, if not much longer with what’s been considered an ankle injury.

Here’s to hoping both guys find their way back on the court ASAP.