JUST IN: Cason Wallace OUT Against Ole Miss

Kentucky basketball will look for its third road win in a row on Tuesday night against Ole Miss, but it will have to come without Cason Wallace. 

The freshman starting guard will miss the matchup against the Rebels due to a leg issue, KSR's Jack Pilgrim reports: 

Wallace averages 11.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists-per-game and has become the primary guard for the Wildcats this season. The Dallas, Texas native has also suffered from back spasms this season — which forced him to miss a majority of UK's loss to South Carolina, playing just eight minutes. 

Pilgrim went on to report that Wallace's new injury "shouldn't be a long-term concern." It's expected that former starting PG Sahvir Wheeler will step back into the starting five. 

Ole Miss will also be without a starting guard tonight, as sophomore Daeshun Ruffin announced that he is stepping away from the Rebels "in hopes of regaining 100 percent mental and physical health."

Ruffin didn't make the trip to Stillwater to play against Oklahoma State due to a "coach's decision." Davis went on to expand that Ruffin was "going through things" and the team "thought it would be better for him to be at home."

Ruffin is the team's second-leading scorer at 9.5 PPG, though he's seen action in just 11 games this season. His 2021-22 season was ended due to a knee injury, which also kept him from making his 2022-23 season debut until Dec. 3. Against Missouri on Jan. 24, he logged a season-high 18 points and seven assists. His 3.2 APG leads the Rebels. 

Additionally, the Rebels' leading scorer Matthew Murrell is a game-time decision. Averaging a team-high 14.9 PPG, the Memphis, Tenn. native has scored 20 or more points six times in the 2022-23 campaign. Big Blue Nation will remember him well, as he made nine shots — five from behind the 3-point line — in Lexington a season ago, scoring 25 in Ole Miss' 83-72 loss back on March 1, 2022.

Update: Murrell has since been ruled out against Kentucky.

In a matchup against Arkansas on Jan. 21, Murrell would go down with a knee injury in the second half. He would then miss the Rebels' next two games against Missouri and most recently at Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge over the weekend. 

Combined, Murrell and Ruffin average 24.4 PPG, 5.7 APG and 4.6 RPG. Scoring may be a tall task for both teams inside the SJB Pavilion. 

Wildcats Today will have updates and game coverage as Kentucky looks to rebound from its loss at home to Kansas over the weekend. Tipoff in Oxford is set for 9 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN.

More on how Kentucky stacks up with five weeks left in the regular season HERE.

More on Kentucky's loss to Kansas HERE.

Kentucky is leaving the KU loss with optimism. More HERE.

Everything John Calipari said after the defeat can be found HERE.

WATCH: Tshiebwe, Reeves and Toppin talk KU defeat.

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