Wisconsin Star's Health Appears To Be In Trouble As Season Hangs In The Balance

Wisconsin basketball star Chucky Hepburn might not be ready to roll Thursday against Purdue.

The Badgers are currently 16-12 and right on the bubble for March Madness. Depending on what projection you look at, they're either barely in or just on the outside looking in.

Wisconsin plays Purdue Thursday night, and a win would absolutely give the team some breathing room.

Chucky Hepburn's status for the Purdue game remains unclear. The Wisconsin guard got hurt against Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

There's just one major problem:

Star point guard Chucky Hepburn suffered what appeared to be a knee injury against Michigan.

Will Chucky Hepburn play Thursday?

While there's still some time for Hepburn to heal up, things aren't looking great as of Wednesday morning. Hepburn didn't practice Tuesday ahead of the biggest game of the year.

Prior to not practicing, head coach Greg Gard told the media, "I haven’t talked to our trainer since yesterday, so I don’t know where he’ll be at in terms of the process today," according to Bucky's 5th Quarter.

Obviously, it turned out he wasn't able to go because he didn't lace up his shoes. If Hepburn isn't able to go, Wisconsin would be without one of the program's truly solid players.

Purdue is very talented and the Badgers need everyone rolling, especially given the stakes. A loss could effectively end Wisconsin's March Madness hopes.

Will Wisconsin star Chucky Hepburn play against Purdue? (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Wisconsin is likely going to struggle no matter what against Purdue. Zach Edey is a monster down low the Badgers simply can't contain. However, at least with Hepburn on the floor the team has a fighting chance to salvage the season. If he's not, the game might be over before it even starts.