Despite earning an SEC-clinching win over Kentucky Saturday, Auburn men’s basketball’s backcourt suffered a significant loss.
Starting point guard Denver Jones left the game in the first half with an injured right ankle, something head coach Bruce Pearl called a bone bruise after the game. However, when speaking to reporters at his Monday morning news conference, Pearl clarified that Jones has a soft tissue injury rather than a bone bruise.
Pearl said after the game Saturday that Jones is “going to recover” and that the injury isn’t season-ending, a point he reiterated Monday. He still didn’t give a timeline for Jones’ return, though.
“We’ll know more later. That’s one of the disadvantages of actually having press conferences before practices. I just don’t know yet,” Pearl said. “It’s something that could hold him out, but it’s not something that’s going to hold him up for long.”
Tahaad Pettiford filled in for Jones against Kentucky and impressed as the primary facilitator for most of the game. Pettiford finished with 21 points and four assists and didn’t record a single turnover.
Pearl didn’t want to get into specifics about how he’d replace Jones’ minutes outside of Pettiford if Jones is unable to play, saying they will “worry about that when it comes to game time.”
While Pettiford has shown his capability throughout his impressive freshman season, Jones’ absence is still a blow for the Tigers, particularly on defense.
“Denver Jones is so valuable to us, I can’t begin to tell you, because he plays two positions,” Pearl said. “He’s our best defensive guard, and for us to win the game without him, that’s incredible.”
Jones is also Auburn’s top 3-point shooter, making 43% of his shots from long range this season and averaging 10.7 points per game.
The first official availability report will be released Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s game, which will give a better idea of Jones’ status against Texas A&M. A final report will be released 90 minutes before tipoff.
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