TAMPA, Fla. — Terrence Jones is in a serious slump, but maybe he has a legitimate excuse.The freshman forward was noticeably coughing during Kentucky’s second-round NCAA Tournament win over Princeton on Thursday, and he had a hard time just getting out a few words in postgame interviews before losing his breath and coughing.During a four-minute interview, Jones broke out into coughing spells of 16 and 14 seconds. UK spokesman DeWayne Peevy said the illness is nothing more than the common cold.”I’m sick,” Jones said, “but I’m not going to use that as an excuse.”Jones’ cough emerged last week at the Southeastern Conference Tournament, when his late-season struggles seemed to really start. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 10.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, down from his season averages of 16.3 points and 8.7 rebounds.The illness is not expected to affect Jones’ availability for Saturday’s third-round game against West Virginia, which is slated for a 12:15 p.m. start at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla.”I wanted to do as much as I could to win,” Jones said of Thursday’s 10-point, two-rebound performance.