Kentucky guard DJ Wagner doubtful for showdown vs. Tennessee

It appears as though Kentucky will be down one of its top guards for Saturday’s game against Tennessee. Freshman DJ Wagner is doubtful for the contest, according to KSR.

Wagner is averaging 12.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on the season. He missed Kentucky’s game against Florida earlier this week.

DJ Wagner has been battling an ankle injury as of late, but he has been a difference maker when healthy this season. Wagner was ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 7 overall player in the country in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

Kentucky head coach John Calipari told reporters earlier this week that he was unsure if DJ Wagner or fellow guard Justin Edwards would be available against the Vols.

“I don’t know if we’ll have a full roster but you know, we’ve got no choice,” Calipari said, according to KSR. “[Tennessee is] coming in. They’re really good. They’re really veteran. They’ve got a couple of really good guys that can just break it down and score. Rick does a great job.”

Calipari also provided an update on DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards during his postgame radio segment following the loss to Florida.

“I don’t know right now,” Calipari said, according to KSR. “I’m hoping. They’re both working to get back. We’ll have to see what was up with [Adou Thiero] but, you know, we’re not the only team that has players hurt. And we have enough but we’ve got to get a rotation going with who we have.”

ESPN College GameDay crew explains why Tennessee needs more than Dalton Knecht to beat Kentucky

Kentucky is limping into its matchup with Tennessee, coming off of a loss and potentially being down a few key contributors. However, Tennessee isn’t entering the game at its best, either.

Dalton Knecht has been the answer for Tennessee throughout the season, but he needs some help.

ESPN College GameDay co-host Andraya Carter believes the Vols will need more of a team effort against the Wildcats, and explained why Tennessee needs to fix this ahead of Saturday’s AP Top 10 matchup.

“Even Coach [Rick] Barnes talked about it after their loss to South Carolina — he said there are times where guys are standing around and waiting for Dalton Knecht to make a play,” Carter told the table. “It’s not just the South Carolina game where it looked like that. When they played Georgia it looked like that at times, when they played Mississippi State. It looks like Dalton Knecht is always the answer offensively.

“They have got to find some rhythm and some confidence from other guys against good defensive teams.”