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UK's Ramel Bradley breaks hand in practice

February 21, 2006|LARRY VAUGHT

LEXINGTON - Kentucky sophomore guard Ramel Bradley broke his left hand in practice Monday and coach Tubby Smith isn't sure how long the injury will sideline him.

Smith announced on his weekly radio show Monday night that Bradley broke his hand when he hit the basket support.

"Ramel was just Ramel. He made a bad play and slammed his hand into the basket support," said Smith.

Bradley is averaging 8.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 18.2 minutes per game. He's shooting 41 percent overall and 31 percent from 3-point range.

Smith said an assistant coach told him to be careful because he could hurt his hand that way when he hit the basket support. The UK coach said the next thing he knew, Bradley was out of practice and trainer Dave Kindy told him Bradley had broken his hand.

"We will know more tomorrow about if he needs a pin (in his hand to repair the bone)," Smith said. "He is an energizer. We will miss that. We don't know how long he will be out."

Bradley was suspended for UK's loss to Tennessee, but came back to score 14 points in 22 minutes at Vanderbilt. He played only four minutes, all in the first half, of last week's win over Georgia and got just eight minutes, again all in the first half, of Saturday's win at South Carolina.

"He played well the first half at South Carolina. It's not that he was not playing well. Other guys were just playing well," Smith said on his radio show.

Smith said senior guard Brandon Stockton's role could increase with Bradley's injury and also indicated that senior walk-on Preston Lemaster might also be used more.

The Cats host Mississippi Wednesday and the Rebels will be without center Dwayne Curtis, the team's top scorer (13.4 points per game) and rebounder (7.5). His brother died Friday of injuries suffered in a Jan. 11 automobile accident. Curtis played against Mississippi State Saturday and had nine points and eight rebounds in 25 minutes. "Sometimes kids will rally around a situation like that. Sometimes it goes other way," Mississippi coach Rod Barnes said. "He would want us to go up there (to Kentucky) and play well and that's what he said to our players and coaches."

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