Kentucky was beaten rather handily in a tough road game against Tennessee on Tuesday night, and head coach John Calipari admitted afterword that he wished he handled one thing differently.
Following his 4th-ranked team’s 76-63 loss to No. 16 Tennessee, Calipari expressed regret over allowing TyTy Washington Jr. to play. The freshman guard suffered a leg injury during Kentucky’s win over Florida on Saturday, but he insisted on playing Tuesday night.
“If I had to do it over, I would not have played TyTy — I shouldn’t have played him,” Calipari said, via Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader. “I asked him twice, ‘Why don’t you just step back?’ He said, ‘I can do this.’ And then I was going to not play him in the second half. And I did. … I should have just gone with my gut.”
Washington started the game and had four points and three assists in the first half. He turned the ball over on a drive early in the second half and went down to the floor in pain. Washington exited the game at that point and did not return.
Washington has been a key contributor for Kentucky this season, averaging 12.4 points and 4.1 assists in 25 starts. Expect Calipari to play it safe with him going forward.
Photo: Danny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
