Tuesday night, the Cats secured a big win against the 5th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, but it came with some unfortunate news.

Jaxson Robinson was ruled out before the game due to a right wrist injury. He was seen on the bench wearing a brace on his wrist, but that didn’t stop him from cheering on his teammates and enjoying the action.

Sadly, it looks like Robinson might remain on the bench for the upcoming games as well. Head coach Mark Pope provided an update during his postgame press conference, and it doesn’t sound promising.

“I’m not sure we’re going to get him back anytime soon, but I’m hoping, I’m praying that we get him back sooner.”

Pope did note that Robinson did not make the injury worse vs South Carolina, but that he wanted to “gut it out.”

Robinson has been a key player for Kentucky, averaging 13.3 points per game, shooting 43.2% from the field and 38.1% from deep, all while playing 28.7 minutes per game. He will be crucial for the Wildcats’ hopes come March and during a deep tournament run.

While Robinson’s injury is concerning for Kentucky fans, the worst news came shortly after. Starting point guard Lamont Butler, who had been sidelined with a left shoulder injury, finally returned to the starting lineup. He came out strong, stealing the ball on Tennessee’s first possession and converting it into a layup. Butler played excellent defense against Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler, collecting three steals, four assists, three rebounds, and six points.

Unfortunately, his performance was cut short. While diving for another steal, Butler landed awkwardly, reaggravating the shoulder injury that had kept him out. Coach Pope shared his concern about the injury.

“Lamont’s was super scary, it 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 torqued his shoulder a little bit. Exactly what we didn’t want to do… We’ll patchwork it together, keep figuring it out. I think he was brilliant tonight.”

“It was not great,” Pope said on Thursday with another update. “We’re still going day-by-day, we’re trying some different treatments. We’re going to piece it together. They’re both complicated situations.”

Despite the injuries, Kentucky’s season continues. The team will head to Austin to face a Texas squad that has had its own struggles, including a recent 103-80 loss to #2 Alabama. With that in mind, the Longhorns will be looking to spoil the Wildcats’ momentum, so Kentucky will need everyone to step up once again.

At this point, what is Kentucky Basketball without an unpredictable, and most often unfortunate, injury report?

The latest iteration of the update ahead of the Wildcats’ home matchup with Tennessee has Lamont Butler listed as “Probable,” with Jaxson Robinson slated decisively as “OUT.” Of course, Kerr Kriisa also remains sidelined, for now.

Robinson suffered a wrist injury in practice before the team’s win against South Carolina on Saturday, one that clearly bothered him throughout the game that followed despite his solid performance.

While Robinson’s scoring (13.3 PPG) will be dearly missed against the defensively expert Volunteers, Butler returning to the lineup for a second straight game should give Kentucky fans reason to remain optimistic.

Koby Brea will likely see extended minutes and a start in Robinson’s wake as well. A big game from #4 would go a long way for the Wildcats.

Overcoming Obstacles

Just last month, Kentucky managed to beat Tennessee on the road without Lamont Butler and (mostly) without Andrew Carr. The 78-73 victory was the lone exception during the team’s worst stretch of the season so far.

Up to this point, Kentucky has made a valiant effort in SEC play in the face of their inability to stay consistently healthy. 

But at 5-5 in the conference and 16-7 overall (placing them in the middle of the SEC, and national, pack) Kentucky will have to find a way to string together a couple of wins as the season winds down, lest they sacrifice a competitive seed in March.

That starts with taking care of business at home, no matter the circumstances. To that point, Mark Pope and the boys in blue will face one of their most telling tests of the season tonight in Rupp Arena.

You can tune in and catch the staggered ‘Cats as they attempt to sweep the season series with Tennessee at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN.

The Cats walked back into Rupp Arena today on a 2 game losing skid while also losing 4 of their last 5. They ended that losing streak taking todays game in convincing fashion with a final score of 80-57.

The most exciting news of the day may have been, the return of Lamont Butler. Butler, who hasn’t taken the floor for the Cats since January 25th, finished the game with 8 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound. While being a huge presence for the Wildcats on the defensive end of the floor.

The Good for the Cats

Kentucky played maybe their best game of the year on the defensive end. The Cats held the Gamecocks to only 57 points today which is only the 2nd game this year in which South Carolina has been held to less than 60 points. Having Lamont Butler back in the lineup today definitely played a role in this defensive effort. His ball pressure throughout the entire game was immaculate.

However, according to Coach Pope, the best defender on the floor tonight for Kentucky was Koby Brea. Koby Brea had maybe his best all around game of the season finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Koby Brea was also named the Defensive Player of the game today.

After struggling in the First Half, Otega Oweh finished the game with 17 points while adding 4 rebounds. Oweh came out of the gates slow finishing the First Half with only 2 points. He came out much more aggressive in the Second Half to extend his streak of scoring double digits.

Not to go unmentioned, was the spectacular game from Brandon Garrison. Garrison had 2 huge dunks while shooting 100% on 2 point shots. Garrison also added a made 3 as well as 2 blocks. His energy was crucial in Kentucky’s win today.

The Bad

There wasn’t a whole lot of bad today for Kentucky. However, Jaxson Robinson who was a game time decision before the game did seem to be in some obvious pain throughout the game. There was one play in particular in which he came up holding his wrist and screaming in pain. His injury and health over the next few weeks will definitely be something for fans to monitor.

What’s next for Kentucky

Kentucky will be back in action Tuesday at 7 pm in a face off against a rival in the Tennessee Volunteers. This will be a huge game for Kentucky as they look to finish 2-0 against Tennessee on the season and steal another one, this time, with Lamont Butler.