AUBURN — Here's a familiar sentence: Austin Wiley's status is in doubt for Auburn's next basketball game.

The former 5-star big man has dealt with a series of injuries and re-aggravations during the 2018-19 season. It has stunted his junior season, only seeing action in 21 games with only five starts. Once again, Wiley's availability — after going down holding his lower leg during the Kentucky game — is in question.

As of Tuesday morning, Bruce Pearl didn't have much optimism about Wiley playing in its Wednesday matchup against Georgia.

"Austin Wiley is doubtful for the game on Wednesday," Pearl said. "More than anything I just feel for Austin."

It's the same leg issue Wiley has dealt with all season.

Since going down at Kentucky, Auburn has gone through the necessary precautions to ensure Wiley's well-being — examined, X-rays, MRIs — and Pearl confirmed "no new damage" has been discovered.

This is a case of a 6-foot-11, 260-pound person repeatedly landing on a lower right leg. Re-injury isn't occurring, but Wiley feels the pain.

"He didn’t re-injure his lower leg; he just aggravated it with a tough landing," Pearl said. "So in coming back from the injury, he’s running and he’s playing and he’s jumping and he’s landing, but at Kentucky, was probably the first time he landed on one leg, awkwardly, 260 pounds, and probably the force of that landing could be doubled based on just the aerodynamics of it. He felt it. But because he did feel it, there’s a little more inflammation and a little more pain, and until that calms down, we should sit him out."

Pearl doubled down on his "doubtful" expectations.

"So our expectation is that he won’t play at Georgia. But that’s to be determined," Pearl said.

Because of Wiley's continued issues, Pearl's recent confidence that Wiley could return to full form has been questioned. Pearl was even asked about it during his Tuesday preview press conference and whether he felt Wiley's top potential might not be reached during this season.

Pearl downplayed that possibility.

"Well I think it’s been, to use your words 'long-term,' he’s been going through it all season long. No, I think this is something that he’ll be able to come back from," Pearl said. "It’s just that we need to let it calm down and see how it progresses over the next week or so."