By SEAN BOCK
Kentucky freshman Jarred Vanderbilt injured his left foot on Friday during practice and will likely be out until January, per a release.
“I just want to let the Big Blue Nation know I’m going to be fine and looking forward to coming back better than ever,” Vanderbilt said in a release. “I’ve had some setbacks before, and I’ve come back from all of them.”
A McDonald’s All-American, Vanderbilt is a 6-foot-9 forward and was the No. 9 player in the 2017 class according to 247Sports.
“Jarred has been unbelievable since he stepped on campus,” UK head coach John Calipari said in a release. “He’s improved tremendously the last four months. Unfortunately, we learned late last night that he’s going to miss some time to get his foot healthy. I’m disappointed for Jarred, but only because I know how badly he wanted to get this season started. I’m OK because I know this is what’s best for him.”
Vanderbilt is expected to need surgery, but he should be back in time for conference play. In his senior year at Victory Prep, Vanderbilt averaged 28.5 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists and played in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.
Vanderbilt is one of the five McDonald’s All Americans in the 2017 Kentucky recruiting class along with Kevin Knox, P.J. Washington, Nick Richards, and Quade Green.
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