John Calipari Provides Update on Ashton Hagans Ahead of Kentucky Gearing up for SEC Tournament

Kentucky star Ashton Hagans can't seem to stay away from the limelight. After some controversies surrounding him holding up a wad of cash on Snapchat and then getting into it with the coaching staff during the Wildcats' loss to Tennessee, the latest drama with Hagans even has head coach John Calipari unsure.

After Hagans stepped away from the team just before their last game of the season against Florida due to "personal reasons," Calipari is still not entirely sure of his status prior to the SEC Tournament.

John Calipari on Ashton Hagans: "I haven't talked to him yet. My hope is we'll talk today or tomorrow, and I think he'll be fine. Whether I start him or not, I don't know. I just want him to be healthy and in a great frame of mind."
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) March 9, 2020

He elaborated, saying that he "fully expects" Hagans to be ready for their conference tournament despite not yet talking to him.

"It’s personal. He just, you know, he came up and said, ‘I’m in a bad way’. These kids, what they do — my first responsibility is the health and well-being of my players. And when a guy tells me, ‘Coach, I’ve gotta step away,’ I’m with it," Calipari added.

It doesn't seem like Hagans thinks he's finished considering he was supporting his team through social media during their final game against the Gators on Saturday.

Since going to the 3-guard lineup of Ashton Hagans, Tyrese Maxey and Immanuel Quickley at Arkansas on Jan. 18, Kentucky is 13-2.
— TheCatsPause247 (@TheCatsPause247) March 9, 2020

This year's Wildcats team is very reliant on the talents of Hagans in the backcourt, so having him is integral for their SEC and NCAA Tournament hopes. For the sake of their season, hopefully Hagans can get himself right and return to the court.