Kentucky Wildcats forward Keion Brooks Jr. has been medically selected to return to competition after missing the first nine games of the season with a left-footed injury, the school announced Thursday.
The second year will be in uniform against the Florida Gators on Saturday and will be available for the 3-6 Wildcats, who have won two straight games, and that they can run in an SEC title for the first time now that Brooks is back.
Although Brooks conditioned and participated in non-contact training with the team, Thursday was his first full training session since the injury.
After that, head coach John Calipari issued a statement to get Brooks back on the field.
“I met him today and it was a little emotional,” said United Kingdom head coach John Calipari. “We were all patient about this, but of course we all wanted Keion out there, no one more than him. Now he is.
“Here’s the kind of person and teammate Keion is: when he and I talked about how he would fit in with what we did as a team, his remark was, ‘Coach, I really trust you. I will do what this team needs me to do. ‘Quite a wonderful thing when you think about it, someone who came back as the leader of our team and the only man who played minutes with us a season ago is. All Keion cares about is trying to help this team win. ”
As freshmen in 2019-’20, Brooks averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds in 31 games (six starts). He shot 47.2% off the field to play with 13 blocks and 11 poles. He recorded five double-digit games, including his last game of the season in Florida.
In a 27-minute career high, Brooks scored 10 points, seven of which came in the second half to help Kentucky play from 17 in Gainesville to beat the Gators 71-70.
The next issue of Kentucky Vs. Florida airs on ESPN on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Cats have won four games in the series and will win three in Gainesville for the first time since 2002-04.
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