Ohio State could have its second-leading scorer back for a top-10 matchup on Saturday.
Duane Washington Jr. has missed the past two games due to a rib injury and will go through his first practice on Friday since the Buckeyes beat Penn State on Dec. 7. Provided he's able to complete the practice without any pain, he's expected to play in No. 5 Ohio State's game against No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday, a source confirmed to Eleven Warriors.
Stadium's Jeff Goodman was first to report the details of Washington's possible return..
Should Washington play against the Wildcats, even though he won't be back to 100 percent healthy, he'd give Ohio State's offense additional spacing it has lacked in the past two games. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound combo guard has averaged 11.4 points while shooting 52.1 percent from the field and 53.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. He fires 4.6 3-point attempts per game. Washington, who has started in eight of his nine games, also averages 2.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists compared to just 1.1 turnovers in 22.9 minutes per game.
The Buckeyes have gone 1-1 in their past two games without Washington, losing to Minnesota on the road and beating Southeast Missouri State at home.
Ohio State-Kentucky tips off at 5:15 p.m. in Las Vegas on Saturday. The game is part of the CBS Sports Classic.
