Will Oscar Tshiebwe return for the Michigan State game? Calipari offers an update.

Following Kentucky’s final exhibition last week, John Calipari expressed doubt that Oscar Tshiebwe would be ready in time for the first two games of the college basketball season.

The UK coach said then that he would be “stunned” if Tshiebwe played Monday night against Howard, “somewhat surprised” if he returned Friday night against Duquesne.

Those games have now come and gone, and, sure enough, there’s been no sign of Tshiebwe, who underwent a knee procedure last month and hasn’t played since.

Kentucky didn’t need its reigning national player of the year for Howard or Duquesne, though. The Cats won those games by 32 and 25 points, respectively.

Their next matchup will likely be a different story.

Kentucky plays Michigan State in the Champions Classic in Indianapolis on Tuesday night, what is expected to be the Wildcats’ first major test of the 2022-23 season. The Spartans took No. 2 Gonzaga to the wire Friday night, ultimately losing to the Zags, 64-63.

Calipari offered no predictions Friday night — positive or negative — on Tshiebwe’s status for the Spartans.

“I don’t know yet,” he said after the Duquesne game. “He’s got to go through some workouts, and if it swells or does stuff — we’re just going to have to wait.”

Calipari said that Tshiebwe was ahead of schedule on his recovery from the Oct. 13 procedure, though he has not yet returned to full-contact workouts in the team’s practice sessions. UK radio analysts Jack Givens and Cameron Mills, who have both been in the gym for recent practices, said before Friday’s game that Tshiebwe has been doing drills, but he hasn’t been going with the team in full-court situations. Givens opined on Friday’s pregame show that Tshiebwe’s timeline for a return would seem to extend beyond the Michigan State game.

“He is at least a week away,” he said. “Just simply because he hasn’t done any contact.”

Yet, with that game four days away, Calipari didn’t shut the door on the possibility. After his pessimism of last week, that might be a sign in itself.

“We’ll have to see,” Calipari said. “I hope, but I have no idea.”

Daimion Collins update

Sophomore forward Daimion Collins also remained out Friday night.

Collins’ father passed away unexpectedly while visiting his son in Lexington last week. The UK player traveled home to Texas to be with family last Thursday, arrived back in Lexington late Monday night — a few hours after the Cats’ season opener — spent a few days with the team and then returned back to Texas earlier this week. There was a private, family ceremony for Collins’ father Friday, with funeral services planned for Saturday.

Ben Collins was 43 years old.

Calipari said Friday that he and some members of the UK staff would fly to Texas on Saturday morning to attend the services. Freshman guard Cason Wallace, who is Collins’ cousin, was also to make that trip. They were to return to Lexington with Collins later in the day Saturday.

“He left after practice — or as practice was ending — and all the guys hugged him,” Calipari said. “He’s got family here, and it’s these players. They all greeted him when he came back (Monday night). He didn’t get in until 11:50, and they were all waiting for him at the lodge to just let him know and hang out with him. So, it will be good to get him back.”

The UK coach said he wanted to take the entire team with him to Texas this weekend but decided against that due to the hectic travel schedule over the next couple of weeks. UK will go to Indianapolis for the Champions Classic on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Spokane for the game against Gonzaga on Nov. 20. A little more than a week after they return from that trip, the Cats will head to London for their game against Michigan on Dec. 4.

Collins is expected to be with the team for the Michigan State game, though it’s unclear if Calipari would play him there so soon after his return. UK plays South Carolina State on Thursday before heading west for the Gonzaga game.