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Mark Pope gives Injury updates ahead of Kentucky’s matchup versus #1 Auburn, “It’s a Mixed Bag”

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Mark Pope helps Kentucky big man Amari Williams off the floor after an ankle injury.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Kentucky has been dealing with injuries for weeks, and while things are trending in the right direction in time for March, the injuries still have to be monitored.

On Friday, during his press conference to preview the Wildcats’ matchup with no. 1 Auburn, Mark Pope provided updates on where his injured players stand after a tough battle with Oklahoma.

“Lamont (Butler) came out great,” Pope said, opening with a positive note. Butler has been dealing with a shoulder injury since mid-January that has kept him out of six of the last nine games. In 20 minutes against Oklahoma, he recorded 7 points and 6 assists, and stated that he felt “no pain” after the game.

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Pope also noted that Andrew Carr came out “really good” after the win against the Sooners. The Wake Forest transfer has been playing through back pain since December and is looking much more comfortable on the court in the last week or two, putting up double figures in two of the last three games.

The updates weren’t all positive, though, as is the case with Jaxson Robinson and Amari Williams.

Robinson, who has been dealing with a wrist injury on his shooting hand, played just 12 minutes against Oklahoma before putting his warmups back on and icing his wrist. He came out “not quite so good,” from the game said Pope. It’s possible, if not likely, that Robinson is out for the Auburn game. It’s not worth him to

Finally, there is Amari Williams. The potential All-SEC big suffered a minor ankle roll in the opening minutes against Oklahoma, but went on to finish the game and played 19 minutes. Pope’s update on him was not quite positive or negative, but neutral.

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“Amari seems like he had a decent day yesterday [Thursday], we’ll know more about him today [Friday],” he said.

As the Cats look to see where they stand against the no. 1 ranked team in the country, Pope isn’t making any excuses.

The initial availability report will come out around 8:00 EST on Friday.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Otega Oweh Selected No. 41 Overall by the Miami Heat

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Photo via Tristan Pharis

It’s sad to say goodbye to a superstar, a player who always had the ball in his hands when the clock ticked away, created countless memories and who’s name will always carry weight in any given conversation.

That superstar is Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, with his dream to play professional basketball coming true on the night of Wednesday, June 24. 

Selected with the No. 41 overall pick, the Miami Heat originally had rights to Oweh but would quickly move him to the Oklahoma City Thunder via trade.

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The New Jersey native was a standout player in the NBA Combine in May, leaving behind an impressive body of work at Kentucky with 1,255 career points as a Wildcat. 

Oweh will more than likely be a two-player under league contract, but members of the Big Blue Nation know very well that he’s the type of personality to fight his way to the top.

The 6-foot-5 guard is now Mark Pope’s fourth draft pick ever, joining teammates Koby Brea (No. 41, Suns, 2025), Amari Williams (No. 46, Celtics, 2025) and Jayden Quaintance (No. 20, Spurs, 2026). 

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Men's Basketball

Mark Pope compares Justin McBride to former Kentucky star

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Mark Pope says Justin McBride gives him "Julius Randle vibes." The James Madison transfer has shed 10+ lbs and is a Kentucky basketball early surprise.
UK Athletics

The Kentucky basketball team started practicing earlier this month, and one of the biggest surprise performers thus far has been James Madison transfer Justin McBride. One reason for that is the offseason work he has put in before arriving in Lexington.

McBride, who previously played for Oklahoma State, Nevada, and most recently, James Madison, is listed at 6’8 and 250 pounds on Kentucky’s roster list. Those listed numbers are bigger than any of his previous stops, but he is currently in the best shape of his career.

According to one source, McBride has lost 10-12 pounds of fat from his top playing weight at James Madison. That has allowed him to be more mobile in practice, a pleasant surprise to what the staff was expecting of him coming in.

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Mark Pope had a comparison for McBride in a ‘Mark Pope vs. the Shot Clock’ segment on UK Sports Network.

“Julius Randle vibes, seriously,” Pope said.

Randle was the SEC Rookie of the Year and an All-American in his one season at Kentucky, so high praise for McBride. However, Pope is not comparing McBride to Randle in terms of talent, but in terms of style.

McBride grades excellent as a catch-and-shoot guy in analytics, shooting 40% from deep last season, an ability that Randle has shown in the NBA. Also similar to Randle, he can use his size to get to his spots in the paint and muscle his way for a rebound.

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Having a bully-ball kind of player, who is also efficient from three-point range, is a welcome addition for a Kentucky program that has struggled with physicality in recent seasons.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

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Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Drafted First Round by the San Antonio Spurs

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Brett Davis | IMAGN Images

It’s every kids dream to play professionally one day, let alone be able to play for the University of Kentucky on the way to the next level. 

Although Jayden Quaintance’s time with the Wildcats ended anticlimactically, his NBA dreams have officially come true at just 18 years old. 

The Cleveland, Ohio native began his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, starting in all 24 games he played in.

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Before his unfortunate knee injury, Quaintance was good for nearly a nightly double-double, averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game to go along with 2.6 blocks a night. 

He would transfer to Kentucky ahead of his sophomore season, making his first appearance on Dec. 20 against St. John’s.

Finishing the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, many members of the Big Blue Nation were confident that their superstar had finally debuted. 

Only appearing in three more games for the 2025-26 season, it was quite clear that his eyes were set on playing at the next level, not taking any chances of another injury. 

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Selecting Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick, the Spurs have now added on to their elite front court and will likely utilize him as a two-way player.

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