LSU's Matt McMahon gives update on Jalen Cook's availability
LSU head coach Matt McMahon has his team battling for wins in the SEC this year, now at 5-7 after the huge comeback win over South Carolina on the road.
Next up for the Tigers is a home contest with Kentucky on Wednesday at 8 p.m. LSU has had a few key injuries to monitor over the course of conference play, with the main ones coming with point guard Jalen Cook, shooting guard Carlos Stewart, and center Daimion Collins.
Collins has played in just one game since Nov. 24 and no games in conference play. He will be out once again against Kentucky, per Matt McMahon.
Stewart suffered a lower body injury early in conference play and has not played since the first game of conference against Texas A&M on Jan. 6. He is also out for the game against Kentucky.
Cook is the one that has sone question to it. McMahon listed him as questionable on Tuesday afternoon as he continues to deal with the hamstring injury that has made him miss two of the last four games.
“Carlos remains out. Daimion is out still with the shoulder. Then, Cook has a leg injury that cost him the Tennessee game and the game against South Carolina, so we’ll see how he is at practice today and how he responds will determine his status. Wish I had a more definitive answer for you, but we’ll have to see how he feels tomorrow heading into the game.”
McMahon has tested out Cook off the bench in his last three appearances, with some effectiveness, as he’s scored 52 points in the last three games he’s played. Without Cook, LSU staged a massive comeback against South Carolina as senior guards Trae Hannibal and Jordan Wright helped keep the team composed.
Sophomores Tyrell Ward and Jalen Reed also played a significant role in the comeback with their scoring in the absence of Cook. The two were the only two players with 10 or more points in the second half for the Tigers.
It was a benchmark moment for this team as they look to close the regular season on a high note.
“Obviously, Kentucky coming off of an incredible performance on Saturday against Auburn on both ends of the court,” McMahon said. “Offensively, that’s the third leading scoring team in the country and the leading 3-point shooting team in the country. Their assist-to-turnover ration is nearly two to one. I just think they’re fantastic, so it’s a great opportunity for us tomorrow night to have a great crowd after beating South Carolina.
“I hope the players take a lot of confidence from getting over the hump. It speaks to this teams toughness and resiliency.”
