On Tuesday night, No. 15 Kentucky secured a statement win over No. 5 Tennessee, defeating the Volunteers 75-64 at Rupp Arena. However, the victory came at a cost, as fifth-year guard Lamont Butler suffered another injury with 7:56 remaining in the second half. Butler, who has battled injuries throughout the season, went down while diving for a loose ball, sending immediate concern through the Wildcats’ bench. Before exiting the game, Butler had been a key contributor, filling the stat sheet with six points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals in 22 minutes of action. His energy and defensive presence had been instrumental in Kentucky’s effort, making his latest setback all the more frustrating.
“Lamont’s (injury) just was super scary tonight,” Kentucky head coach Mark Pope said. “He was right in front of me. He went down, and the second he went down, you could kind of see as he extended out that it just torked his shoulder a little bit. It was just exactly what we didn’t want to do.” Butler’s season has been marred by injuries, beginning with an issue sustained in the Clemson game. He initially missed two straight games before attempting a comeback, only to get injured again against Vanderbilt, where he sat out games against Tennessee, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Despite his struggles to stay on the court, Butler has been an essential part of Kentucky’s rotation, averaging 12.9 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. “He was incredible, and he was brave tonight, too,” Pope added. “He’s playing as a one-armed bandit out there… We’ll patchwork it together. We’ll keep figuring it out. I thought he was brilliant tonight.
” Adding to Kentucky’s injury woes, Jaxson Robinson also remained out against Tennessee after aggravating a shooting wrist injury he initially suffered in practice last week. Despite playing through the pain in Kentucky’s 80-57 win over South Carolina-where he posted six points, five rebounds, and four assists-Robinson was unable to go against the Volunteers. Robinson, a key offensive piece for the Wildcats, has been averaging 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game this season. With his shooting ability and versatility, his absence creates another challenge for Kentucky’s rotation. “I’m not sure we can get him back anytime soon,” Pope said of Robinson’s injury.
“But I’m hoping, I’m praying, that we can get him back sooner.” Despite the injuries to Butler and Robinson, Kentucky has continued to find ways to win. With both players’ statuses uncertain, the Wildcats will need their depth to step up as they push forward in a challenging SEC schedule.
Butler’s latest setback is particularly concerning given his previous struggles to stay healthy, but Pope and the Wildcats remain hopeful that both he and Robinson can return sooner rather than later. For now, Kentucky will have to patch things together, as Pope put it, and continue relying on a next-man-up mentality as they push forward in conference play.
