Freshman star Markelle Fultz, projected as a potential top pick in this year's NBA draft, sat out Washington's 81-66 loss at Colorado on Thursday night because of a sore right knee.
Coach Lorenzo Romar said Fultz's knee has been bothering him for a while and the team decided the soreness and swelling were too much for him to play Thursday night.
"This week he wasn't able to practice,'' Romar said. "We sat him out. He was feeling a little better, but we decided to keep him out. It's kind of day-to-day.''
Fultz scored a season-high 37 points in an 85-83 overtime win over Colorado on Jan. 18.
The Buffaloes were looking forward to the rematch.
"I was bummed,'' said Derrick White, who scored 16 points Thursday night. "I wanted to go against him. ... But we couldn't dwell on it too much.''
Fultz's 23.2 points per game lead all freshmen, and he's the only player in the NCAA averaging 20 points, six assists and six rebounds.
"It's difficult when it's someone you kind of build your whole offense around and he's out,'' Romar said. "He does so much for our team, obviously. I did not sense our team was having a pity party ... We know that when he's not in there we're a different basketball team.''
Buffs senior starters Wesley Gordon and Xavier Johnson were held out for a second consecutive game for unspecified violations of team rules.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.