GREENSBORO, N.C. (WDRB) – Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler hasn’t played a basketball game since Feb. 4, sidelined first by a right ankle injury and then by an undisclosed medical procedure.

But on Thursday, when Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament locker room in the Greensboro Coliseum opened to reporters, there was Wheeler, smiling, holding a phone up to his mouth while he spoke, as if he were recording himself.

It wouldn’t have been a bad idea. What Wheeler said was the news of the day for a Kentucky team headed into a first-round matchup Friday against Providence at 7:20 p.m.

Wheeler told reporters that he’s been back in practice with the team for the past week, and when asked if he’d be available to play on Friday, answered, “I believe so.”

It's still unknown if Wheeler will play Friday.

“It’s been tough,” Wheeler went on. “I think the toughest thing is not being out there with my guys, you know. But also it's been great, you know, recovering and doing the best I can getting better each and every day, each and every rep, each and every practice, each and every workout. But I'm just super excited to be able to, you know, be in this situation again, in the tournament with my guys, and hopefully we do some great things.”

Wheeler’s last game was an 8-point, 3 assist effort against Florida. But his minutes had been fluctuating in the month before that as Calipari searched for a combination that would work. After losing its first two games without him, Kentucky has won 5 of 7 without him.

When asked whether Wheeler would play, Kentucky coach John Calipari was less than committal.

“He is trying his hardest,” Calipari said. “And he is doing great stuff, but, you know, I've got to really feel that he is going to be -- maybe not 100 percent -- but he can't be 80. Not in a game like this. Providence is well-coached. They've got terrific players. Obviously, I know Bryce (Hopkins) well and respect him and love him to death. He is a terrific player, but their guards are good. They're downhill runners. And so we'll see. He'll go through the shoot-around. We'll practice a little bit after this, and then the docs and the trainers will tell me what they think.”

Wheeler is averaging 10.2 points per game this season. He did not go through the program’s Senior Day program, with Calipari referencing a medical procedure that kept him away.

That led to speculation that there might be some other reason Wheeler had been on the sidelines. He was asked about some speculation that he had just decided to pack it in because he wasn’t starting at point guard.

“That's a narrative?” he said. “I told you guys I'm not on social media. Really? Yeah, I haven't been on Twitter or Instagram. Man, I would hope they were able to watch my energy on the bench. I think that tells a lot. Man, that's crazy. That's crazy that you say that. That was a narrative? Man, I love this program. I love this team. I love the coaches.. . . It’s a kid's dream to be at Kentucky. It’s a kid's dream to play at this level, play the games I've been able to be a part of. So, that's kind of crazy, I'm at a loss for words. I'm just so happy I'm able to play again. This group of guys, what we’ve gone through individually and as a team, the ups and downs. I'm just super happy to be here.”

Whether he’ll be on the court come Friday, stay tuned.

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