Kentucky sophomore reportedly being protected by armed student at parties
University of Kentucky sophomore Tai Wynyard’s suspension while he was out with a back injury seemed unusual from the start. A few hours later, a report emerged that may have shed some light on why the team decided to suspend the sophomore.
Another student has been carrying a gun to parties in an attempt to protect Wynyard, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
Members of the school’s fraternities and sororities reportedly sent group messages to each other warning about the situation:
The Group Me message circulated by sorority members in January stated: “there is a (person) showing up to parties with the basketball player Tai Wynyard. (The person) showed up last night to our rush party and … had a gun … said he was ‘protecting’ Wynyard. … If you go out tonight and see (person) DO NOT APPROACH (person). Share this to EVERY SISTER.”
The school has remained mum on whether that incident had anything to do with Wynyard’s suspension. The team’s associate media relations director would not confirm that to the Courier Journal.
The original message was circulated by sorority members in mid-January. That was about the time John Calipari instituted a team policy that did not allow injured players to travel with the team. Wynyard will likely be out for the rest of the season with a back injury, but had previously appeared on the team’s bench during road trips. That policy also impacts freshman guard Jemarl Baker, though there’s no evidence he’s involved here.
Wynyard also did not appear on the team’s bench during a home game in late January. A spokesperson told the Courier Journal that was due to “academic obligations.”
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
