Through Mark Pope’s first two seasons with Kentucky, injuries haven’t just been here and there, they have cost both teams a deeper run in the postseason.

Now entering year three, the Wildcats once again have championship-level expectations and a deep roster, but the injury bug has already started to show itself.

Kentucky is yet to play an exhibition game, but Pope is already facing a familiar opponent, with a new injury suffered by guard Jerone Morton.

After last season, Kentucky had its complete roster for only 14% of his games through Pope’s first two seasons, and only 9% against power-four opponents. Sure, the reports this summer confirm that the Wildcats will be healthy for the regular season, but knowing the statistics, members of the Big Blue Nation still worry when any sort of injury is announced.

Pope’s first Kentucky team was still able to make it to the Sweet 16, but rarely did he have the chance to coach the roster exactly the way it was constructed.

Injuries to Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Andrew Carr and Kerr Kriisa made it nearly impossible to see the team that Pope and staff had envisioned. However, when that squad was fully healthy, they were something special.

In the 2024 Champions Classic, Pope led his team to take down No. 6 Duke, who hosted No.1 overall pick and basketball phenom Cooper Flagg. The Wildcats were able to go deep into their rotation, play with pace, and rely on different players throughout the night.

As the season progressed, however, Pope rarely had that luxury. BBN will likely speculate for years to come on how far in the tournament that 2024 team could’ve made it had they stayed healthy.

Year two brought even worse injury luck. Jaland Lowe suffered a shoulder injury during the Blue-White scrimmage that lingered throughout the season and eventually required season-ending surgery for one. Jayden Quaintance entered the year still recovering from a torn ACL, missing Kentucky’s first 11 games and playing just four times before swelling in the knee shut him down again.

Just as the Cats were starting to find some stability in their roster, Kam Williams would go down, suffering a broken foot during the Jan. 21 win over Texas. He underwent surgery shortly after, with the injury costing him the final 12 games of the season.

Williams’s absence was especially damaging because Kentucky was already without Lowe and Quaintance, leaving Pope without three players who had been expected to play major roles.

For a roster that had been constructed around depth and versatility, Pope spent much of the season trying to replace pieces that were never supposed to be missing in the first place.

Kentucky is already dealing with several bumps in the road: Morton is recovering from a knee injury, while Trent Noah, Milan Momcilovic, Franck Kepnang and Williams have all dealt with health concerns during the offseason.

The good news for fans is that, unlike last season, Pope expects the roster to be close to full strength by the start of regular-season play.

With another talented roster in place, staying healthy could be just as important as anything that the Wildcats can do on the court. If Kentucky can finally shake the injury bug, Pope may finally get the chance to see just how far one of his teams can go when it matters most.

There is no doubt that center Malachi Moreno played a vital role for the Wildcats last year, starting in 30 games while averaging 7.8 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game.

His 7-foot stature pushed him to be an important big man for Mark Pope, even hitting a game winner against LSU and creating a signature moment for the fanbase.

Pope has been looking for improvements in Moreno’s game, with the big man confirming that he will be going into this season as an all around improved player at media day.

“Last year was a disappointment, we let down a lot of people, especially me,” said Moreno. “I need to put on a lot of muscle, get quicker…and move with the pace of the game.”

Pope, when given a chance to speak on the development of Moreno this offseason, commented that it felt as if him and Moreno were “butting heads” throughout the first month of the offseason.

Moreno admitted that he was “real stubborn” and that he “felt like I was in a box.” He went on to say that Pope had a conversation with both him and his older brother, who serves as a mentor and agent figure, and that he never looked back, now doing his best to improve.

This sophomore season for Moreno will be one where he can prove everyone right that anticipates him being one of the best in the nation. Pope has Moreno bought in, ready to dominate in his second go around.

At Kentucky’s media day, Furman transfer Alex Wilkins talked about how he’s been playing against other SEC players all summer and how he will adjust from SoCon to the SEC. “I grew a lot from last year” Wilkins said in an interview with KY Insider.

“I’ve been playing against SEC guys all summer…my skillset is there,” said Wilkins. “I can play with the best of them, it hasn’t really been a skill thing, just focus on little points and details.”

Wilkins spoke about playing alongside players like Zoom Diallo, Malachi Moreno and Milan Momcilovic, now able to sport the blue and white jersey.

“I respect all the players that have come through here,” said Wilkins. “When I got this jersey I almost cried…being here has been a true blessing”.

Wilkins made a name for himself at Furman, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists per game while starting in all 35 games he played. He earned Second-Team All Southern Conference honors and was named Most Outstanding Player of the SoCon Tournament – this led to Furman winning its conference championship and securing a spot in the NCAA tournament.

His performance on the national stage gave Kentucky fans a glimpse of what he could bring to Lexington. Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has already shown his confidence in Wilkins, Earlier this summer, comparing Wilkins’ game to former Wildcat star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Wilkins acknowledged this praise while also making it clear that he has plenty to prove on the court. For him, this upcoming season gives him an opportunity to turn his success he found at a lower level into success on one of the biggest stages of college basketball. His jump to the SEC will test him, but will also show that his success as a freshman was only his beginning.

Big Blue Nation cannot wait to see Wilkins take the court in just a few weeks!