Jaylin Williams injured in Auburn loss to Kentucky; Bruce Pearl comments
Jaylin Williams has the Auburn family, and basketball fans everywhere, broken-hearted by what they saw Saturday night.
Williams went down with a serious knee injury at the 10:40 mark of the second half in Auburn’s loss to Kentucky. AU coach Bruce Pearl noted that it was a significant blow to a Tigers team that was trying to comeback. Pearl indicated that everyone on The Plains is bracing for bad news when Williams gets evaluated.
Bruce Pearl on Jaylin Williams’ injury: “We were in range when he got hurt. We think he’s gotta have something. We think its something. Not just a bang.”
MRI tomorrow
— Matt Cohen (@Matt_Cohen_) February 18, 2024
Bruce Pearl said Jaylin Williams will have an MRI tomorrow on his knee tomorrow. But said he expects that it’s a significant injury.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) February 18, 2024
Williams entered the game as Auburn’s second-leading scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game. He had been a big part of AU’s recent wins over South Carolina and Alabama, scoring 23 and 26 respectively.
Fans are hurting for Williams, who is having a career year as a fifth-year super senior. If the injury is as serious as expected, he has likely played his last college basketball game.
Williams is a big loss for Auburn down the stretch of the 2023-24 season. The Tigers are 9-4 in the SEC standings, behind 10-2 Alabama and 9-3 Tennessee. South Carolina is also 9-4, while Kentucky and Florida are 8-4 having not played as many SEC games.
The SEC hoops tournament is under a month away, with the opening round set for March 13. The top four seeds will be awarded a double-bye.
Auburn’s next game is Feb. 24 on the road at Georgia. The Bulldogs fell to Florida on Saturday, extending their losing skid to six games.
Caesars Sportsbook North Carolina will have an app available soon! Follow SDS to be ready for the big launch!