Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari took to social media on Monday to share news that former Wildcats player Alex Poythress has come down with a serious illness:

“I got word last night that @AlexTheGreat22 has developed an illness while playing basketball over in Europe. One of the best athletes and kindest people I’ve ever coached…a good man! #BBN, let’s pool some prayers and send them his way!!”

Poythress, who played four seasons (2012-16) for Kentucky basketball, is battling hemiparesis, according to multiple reports. Per the American Stroke Association, hemiparesis is “weakness or the inability to move on one side of the body, making it hard to perform everyday activities like eating or dressing.”

Poythress plays overseas for Olimpia Milano, an Italian team in Milan. He played just six minutes in last week's 81-77 loss to ASVEL.

“(Poythress) returned from the games with Ivory Coast with a sort of hemiparesis on his face,” Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina said, per Eurohoops.net. “It's unknown if it comes from nerves or virus. He tried to play against ASVEL, but it hurts him.”

Last month, Poythress starred for Ivory Coast at the 2025 AfroBasket Qualifiers. In three games, he averaged 21.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per outing.

During his four seasons with Kentucky basketball, he appeared in 112 games (62 starts), averaging 8.6 points and 5.3 rebounds. He was an All-SEC Freshman Team selection in 2012-13, recording 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per outing in 33 games.

After his college career ended, Poythress played in 52 NBA games for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers between the 2016-17 and 2018-19 seasons. Since then, he's played professionally overseas.