Alabama basketball’s leading scorer landed on the team’s SEC-mandated injury report released Friday night.
Starting point guard Mark Sears was listed as probable for the Crimson Tide’s matchup against Kentucky on Saturday evening. In addition, the Tide ruled out freshman forward Derrion Reid for a second straight game. Alabama’s injury report also included “out” designations for guards Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Houston Mallette, who are both expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Sears' injury is currently unknown. The graduate guard posted a season-high 35 points on 12 of 20 shooting from the floor, including 5 of 11 from deep during Alabama's loss at Missouri on Wednesday. Sears leads the team in scoring (18.5 points per game) and assists (4.8 per game). He is shooting 40.9% from the floor and 35.2% from deep.
Reid is continuing to deal with a lingering hamstring injury that caused him to miss time last month. The former McDonald's All-American is averaging 7.1 points and 3.2 rebounds over 18 games this season.
SEC policy requires teams to reveal the status of players who may not play for any reason, including, but not limited to, injury, illness, suspension, ineligibility, or personal matter. Any student-athlete who regularly participates in games (even on a limited basis) is subject to mandatory disclosure.
Kentucky will be without a trio of guards as Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa were all listed as out.
Butler missed Kentucky’s last two games after re-aggravating a shoulder injury during a game against Tennessee on Feb. 11. The graduate point guard has started all 19 games he’s played in this season. He’s leading the Wildcats with 4.6 assists per game while averaging 12.5 points on 50.9% shooting from the floor and 38.5% shooting from deep.
Robinson has been out since suffering a wrist injury during Kentucky’s game against South Carolina on Feb. 8. The graduate guard is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game on 43.2% shooting, including 38.1% from deep.
Kentucky is also without fifth-year guard Kerr Kriisa, who started one game over nine appearances before suffering a foot injury that required surgery in December.
No. 4 Alabama (21-5, 10-3) will host No. 17 Kentucky (18-8, 7-6) on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum. The game will be televised on ESPN.