Auburn basketball releases encouraging update on Jaylin Williams ...

AUBURN — It appears Auburn basketball has received some good news.

Fifth-year forward Jaylin Williams suffered a right knee injury midway through the second half of Auburn's 70-59 loss to Kentucky in Neville Arena on Saturday. He underwent an MRI on Sunday and the injury was not deemed to be season ending, per a statement from the program.

"Graduate senior forward Jaylin Williams was evaluated this morning and has a non-season ending knee injury," the statement read.

The news is a relief for Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, who was not optimistic talking about the injury after the game: "We think he's got to have something; we think it's something," Pearl said Saturday night. "(It was) not just a bang. He had a pivot."

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Williams is averaging 13 points and 4.7 rebounds this season. If he's to miss any time, Alabama-Huntsville transfer Chaney Johnson will likely slide into the starting rotation at power forward. Pearl could also opt to run a smaller lineup that features Chad Baker-Mazara at small forward and senior Chris Moore at PF.

"He’s having a phenomenal senior season. It’s not like I’m giving the scouting report away, but when Jaylin Williams has played well, we’ve won," Pearl said Saturday. "And he’s only really not played well in about four or five games. Those happening to be the games we lost. The math’s kind of scary. Give Jaylin Williams credit."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsailva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.