Oscar Tshiebwe confident Cason Wallace is ”good” following injury: ”He’ll be ready”

The injury bug continues to bite the Kentucky Wildcats in untimely situations, freshman standout Cason Wallace being the latest example. The 6-foot-4 guard came down on his ankle with 18:14 to go and limped back to the locker room, later ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Initial test results came back clean, with head coach John Calipari adding that a return this weekend at Arkansas is in play.

“First of all, Cason, they X-rayed, he’s fine. It’s not swelled. We’ll see. I’m hoping he’ll be okay for Saturday but I don’t know. And if not, we’ve got to figure out how we do it against pressure.”

Undoubtedly good news for a player Kentucky simply cannot afford to lose, especially with Sahvir Wheeler out “a couple weeks” after undergoing a minor tailbone procedure Wednesday morning. The product with zero available point guards, as we saw in the second half, isn’t pretty. Antonio Reeves, CJ Fredrick and Adou Thiero did their best splitting time at the one — even Jacob Toppin brought up the floor on occasion — but it wasn’t Wallace or Wheeler.

It put Reeves in a particularly difficult spot, forced to focus on facilitating and taking care of the ball while also continuing to be the microwave scorer he is. That’s a tough ask, and it showed in the box score (4-17 FG, 1-8 3PT, 3 TO).

“Cason makes a lot of plays that help many people,” star center Oscar Tshiebwe said after the loss. “Antonio is not a point guard, that boy is a wing. So when you put him at point guard, you mess him up a little bit. He’s got to do too much. We’re going to need Cason, we’re going to need Sahvir, the people who really make plays for us.”

Tshiebwe knows the urgency behind getting Wallace back healthy. The team’s postseason chances lie in his hands (and ankle) one way or the other. Making sure the freshman standout was OK was the superstar senior’s first priority once the final horn went off.

And without revealing too much — he’s been sworn to media secrecy — Tshiebwe says Wallace is going to be just fine.

“Yes, I went and checked on him a little bit. I went and checked on him with the trainer,” the star center told reporters. “He should be good, he should be good. I am not supposed to give too much information out there [laughs]. … That makes me feel good (Wallace’s X-rays came back negative). I know he’s good, I know he’s good. He’ll be ready.”

It appears the standout freshman avoided a serious setback, keeping postseason dreams alive and optimism high that Kentucky can go back to playing as it did during its most recent four-game winning streak. The Wildcats already worked their way back into the NCAA Tournament field, so a brief slip-up in the win/loss column isn’t make-or-break anymore.

Wallace’s extended absence, though, would have been. And his scare again signaled just how crucial it is for the bench to stay ready, just in case. ‘Next man up’ mentality the rest of the way, no time for excuses.

“We just tell all the people on the bench to be ready, always be ready,” Tshiebwe said. “Injuries, you never know when they’ll happen, but that’s what I’ve been spending my time praying for. I’m praying that my boys don’t get injured. And if they get injured, I say, ’God, heal them fast. Get them back.’ And God always does. It’s taking Sahvir a little longer, but I’ll continue to pray for him.”

And this is coming from a player who dealt with his own injury issues throughout the season, undergoing offseason knee surgery in October and slowly working his way back to full strength from there. He missed Big Blue Madness, the Blue-White Game, both exhibition matchups vs. Missouri Western and Kentucky State, then the first two regular-season matchups vs. Howard and Duquesne.

Limited the first half of the year, Tshiebwe finally returned to his dominant ways during SEC play, specifically in recent weeks. He closed out his Rupp Arena career with a 21-point, 20-rebound effort on Senior Night.

That’s the player Kentucky needs this postseason.

“I think I’m back to normal, I’ve been back. You see me fighting all the time, going for every rebound,” Tshiebwe said. “I’m going to keep the same attitude until the end because they really need me like this to help us. To help us move to the level we want to go, I have to stay who I am. I cannot lose focus, I just have to fight every night.”

Now the Wildcats just need Wallace and Wheeler back to full strength.