Arizona senior forward Ira Lee is not playing in the Wildcats' season opener Friday against Grambling State because of a concussion suffered about a month ago.
UA has not yet confirmed Lee's status but he was not on the floor warming up with the Wildcats 30 minutes before the game and instead stood on the sideline, wearing warmups and a mask. He sat in the second row of the team bench when the game started.
UA coach Sean Miller said on Nov. 20 that Lee suffered the concussion "a few weeks ago" and said then he did not know if Lee would return to practice before Friday's opener, casting significant doubt on whether Lee would be ready.
Lee suffered a concussion as a freshman in 2017-18 and missed a month toward the end of the season. While UA did not say when Lee suffered the concussion, he was not at McKale Center during the Wildcats' Nov. 5 virtual media day, suggesting it happened before then.
But if it happened around the end of October, Lee could return for UA's Dec. 2 game against Colorado if his situation is similar to his previous concussion.
