Vanderbilt center Liam Robbins will be available to make his Vanderbilt Commodore debut on Wednesday against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena according to a university spokesperson and the Vanderbilt men’s basketball Twitter account. The transfer from Minnesota has yet to suit up for the Commodores this season after battling through a foot injury and stress reaction throughout the winter. Jerry Stackhouse remained optimistic about Robbins’ status when speaking with reporters on Monday, but did not confirm or deny his availability.
“He’s working out,” Stackhouse said Monday. “Still don’t know exactly what his status is right now. He’s getting better. He had a good workout [on Sunday]—played some three-on-three, got up and down full court. He looked good. He fell down. That was good. So that’s where he’s at right now. It’s good that he came out of that good. When you’re really getting back on the court and you haven’t played in over a year, just those little, subtle milestones are huge.”
Stackhouse said Monday that the big man would likely return with a minutes restriction, but how many minutes he plays tonight remains unclear.
Robbins led the Big Ten in blocks per game last season (2.7 per game) and averaged 12 points and seven rebounds in 23 starts. He was also rated one of the top transfer additions in the country by many analysts. In his place, Quentin Millora-Brown has proven to be a valuable player for the Commodores. The 6’10” forward has started all 20 of Vanderbilt’s games this season and averages six points and six rebounds.
Vanderbilt and Kentucky will tip off at 6 p.m. CST.