Kenny is questionable

I mentioned that Kenny Gaines did little more than shoot on the side during the open practice last week.  Turns out, it's mono:

Kenny Gaines, the team's dynamic shooting guard, has been ill and might miss the team's season opener on Nov. 14 against Georgia Tech. Gaines will definitely miss Thursday's night's exhibition game, and head coach Mark Fox said he was "a little pessimistic" about Gaines' availability for the opener.

Fox would not disclose the illness, though indications were it was mononucleosis.

On the one hand, I had seen speculation that it may be a suspension instead of an illness, so finding out it's the latter is good news.  However, Gaines is no worse than third on the list of players Georgia can ill afford to lose this season:

Gaines, a 6-foot-3 junior, was Georgia's second-leading scorer last year, and its main outside shooting threat. He accounted for 34 percent (52) of the team's made 3-pointers, and 32 percent of its 3-point attempts.

If he can't go, expect to see a healthy dose of Juwan Parker at shooting guard and (just a guess) Kenny Paul Geno at small forward.  You may even see some 3 guard looks with Mann, Frazier, and Parker on the floor together.  Fox does have Thursday night's exhibition to play with lineups ahead of the opener next Friday.

There's no sugar-coating this:  it's bad news.  Fox, more than ever, needs a strong start to non-conference play, and the oddity of playing Georgia Tech right off the bat may come back to bite him.

Get well soon, Kenny, will ya?

h/t Seth Emerson