The Kentucky Wildcats are coming off a crucial 78-73 victory over No. 8 Tennessee, but lingering injury issues continue to raise concerns for the team as they navigate a challenging SEC schedule.
One of the most pressing concerns is the health of star point guard Lamont Butler. The former Final Four hero has dealt with multiple injuries throughout the season, with his latest setback being a shoulder issue that kept him sidelined for Tuesday’s game against Tennessee. His absence was felt, though Kentucky managed to secure the win.
Another key player, forward Andrew Carr, has been dealing with persistent back problems for several weeks. He missed Kentucky’s previous loss to Vanderbilt and saw very limited action against Tennessee, logging only two minutes on the court. Despite his struggles, Carr was at least available, offering hope that he may be working his way back into the lineup.
Following Tuesday’s victory, head coach Mark Pope provided minor updates on both players as the team prepares for its upcoming matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks. During his weekly radio call-in show on Wednesday, Pope specifically addressed Butler’s status, stating that the veteran guard was still not ready for game action.
“As of today, Lamont Butler is not good to go tonight (if there was a game), but we’ll see how he is in the morning,” Pope explained.
The importance of these two players to Kentucky’s success cannot be overstated. Butler is one of the best two-way guards in the country, capable of shutting down opponents on defense while also producing at a career-best level offensively. This season, he’s averaging personal highs in several key categories, including:
Points per game:13.2
Field goal percentage: 51.3%
Three-point shooting: 40%
Assists per game:4.8
Rebounds per game: 2.9
Carr, meanwhile, has been a difference-maker in many of Kentucky’s most significant victories, often stepping up in high-profile games. One of his best performances came in the Champions Classic win over then-No. 2 Duke, where he contributed 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Although Kentucky has proven it can win tough games even without Butler and Carr, maintaining that level of success over the course of the SEC schedule will be difficult. The Wildcats still have six top-25 opponents remaining in their final 11 regular-season games, including five in the last eight.
Prioritizing Long-Term Health Over Regular-Season Wins
Given the difficulty of the remaining schedule, Kentucky may have to make tough decisions regarding player availability. While every regular-season game is important, ensuring that Butler and Carr are fully healthy for the NCAA Tournament is the team’s top priority. If that means dropping a few additional SEC games to give them more time to recover, it could be a worthwhile trade-off. Even if Kentucky slides into a lower tournament seed—somewhere in the 5-to-7 range—the Wildcats will still have the potential to make a deep postseason run as long as their roster is at full strength in March.
Otega Oweh Also Dealing with Soreness
Beyond Butler and Carr, another Kentucky player is dealing with a minor injury. Junior wing Otega Oweh is reportedly feeling sore after a hard fall during Tuesday’s game, where he hit his face on the floor. Despite the scary moment, Oweh was able to finish the game, and Pope indicated that the issue doesn’t appear to be a long-term concern.
This will be something to monitor when Friday’s SEC injury report is released, but for now, it seems like Oweh’s status is not a major worry for Kentucky moving forward.
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