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Thursday, January 31, 2013
Big setbacks for Ole Miss?

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By Luke Lapinski

UPDATE: As it turns out, Ole Miss isn't getting any good news on the injury front. The foot ailment suffered by Nick Williams will keep him out indefinitely. And Aaron Jones' sophomore season is now over due to an ACL tear.

That not only leaves the Rebels without two important bench players, it robs them of one of only three seniors on the roster (Williams) and leaves them with essentially no frontcourt depth heading into their showdown with No. 2 Florida this weekend. With 272-pounder Demarco Cox dealing with a stress fracture as well, freshman Terry Brutus figures to see a boost in playing time up front.

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Not only did Ole Miss have its nine-game winning streak snapped at the hands of Kentucky last night, it may have lost two notable players going forward. Nick Williams may have a snapped ligament in his foot, while Aaron Jones appeared to suffer a knee injury.

No specific timetable has been set for either player's return just yet, but the Rebels could certainly use both back on the floor sooner rather than later. Williams is one of the top bench players on the roster, averaging 9.4 points in nearly 25 minutes of playing time per night. Meanwhile, Jones stands 6-foot-9 and gives Andy Kennedy a solid interior presence to utilize off the bench. If either has to sit for an extended period of time, it could be a difficult obstacle for Ole Miss to overcome as it looks to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 -- especially with key matchups at No. 4 Florida and No. 17 Missouri on the schedule in the next 11 days.

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