Lamont Butler (Vicky Graff Photo)
Despite having what coach Mark Pope called a “broken wheel” after injuring his ankle in the second half at Clemson, point guard Lamont Butler kept playing and Kentucky clearly was better with him on the court.
However, he was extremely sore after the game and Pope admitted Thursday that his ankle injury remained a “little bit of an issue” going into Saturday night’s game against No. 7 Gonzaga in Seattle.
“We’re super hopeful we’ll have him back,” Pope said about the veteran guard who is averaging 12.9 points, 3.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 22.5 minutes per game.
Butler has scored in double figures in five straight games and is a dynamic disruptor on the defensive end also.
“He’s the most physical guard in the country, especially defensively,” teammate Amari Williams said after UK’s loss at Clemson.
The Kentucky coach said on his weekly radio show Wednesday that he considered playing Jaxson Robinson at point guard late in the game against Clemson. Backup point guard Kerr Kriisa did not make a shot and also had trouble defensively against Clemson.
Another option could be true freshman Travis Perry, Kentucky’s 2024 Mr. Basketball. He is the state’s all-time leading high scorer but has played limited minutes so far.
“I have a lot of confidence in Travis Perry. He’s a terrific player,” Pope said Thursday. “He’s a really heady player and he is immensely capable. So he definitely would be a viable option for sure.”
Gonzaga has a top 20 defense with veteran guards that could be a nightmare matchup for a freshman point guard on the road. That’s what Pope is hoping Butler will be able to play and be effective.
The Bulldogs, who won in Rupp Arena last season, average 90.4 points and 41.4 rebounds per game. They have a 10.10 margin on the glass — all top-30 marks nationally.
Another concerning stat for Kentucky is that Gonzaga opponents are shooting just 24.5 percent from 3-point range, the nation’s fourth-best defensive mark.
In the last three games from 3, UK has gone 8-for-29 against Western Kentucky, 7-for-26 against Georgia State and 7-for-27 against Clemson. That’s a combined 26.8 percent from 3 in the last three games.
“It’s been a nice build-up for us from Georgia State to Clemson to Gonzaga. Georgia State is No. 31 in post possessions in the country, Clemson is No. 6 and Gonzaga is No. 3,” Pope said on his radio show. “We got our first dose of heavy duck-ins against Georgia State where our guys got to get some reps with that. In terms of dealing with point-to-post and side-ball screen duck-ins and high-low actions, our guys were actually spectacular (Tuesday).
“They held the team that’s normally over 1.1 points per possession in the post to 0.75 points per possession. I was really proud of our guys’ effort and intensity in terms of managing Clemson’s No. 1 go-to. If we can continue that, that’ll bode well for us against Gonzaga.”
What might not bode well is the atmosphere. Clemson was UK’s first true road game and the home crowd made a difference. Gonzaga’s atmosphere in Seattle figures to be close to the same.
“If Clemson at Clemson felt like a second-round game in the NCAA Tournament, this Gonzaga game will feel like a Final Four game. That’s what it’s supposed to be. We’re gonna go out there and we’re gonna really fight and perform,” Pope.
Kentucky and Gonzaga play at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN2.
3 Responses
Gonzaga is the best team we’ve played so far! They might be the best or top 3 that we play all year. You could argue Tennessee, Auburn, and Alabama are about on the same playing field as Gonzaga. I think Gonzaga is the best team we will play besides Tennessee this year. I think they are better defensively than Auburn and they have a better offense then Tennessee! Another thing in there corner is Mark Few one of the best coaches in college basketball! It will be a fight we can win but will we win? If we are shooting the 3 ball like we have been the last 3 games and continue struggling at the free throw line we will get beat by 10 or more points. If we make 12 or more 3 pointers it will be anyone’s game.
If Butler is hurt, he should be used in an emergency reserve role. Starting Perry would give us a point guard who would pass first, but is a capable shot if one should come his way. If defense becomes an issue, a zone could be the answer. We definitely should use our bigs in pick and roles toward the basket to avoid scoring droughts and possibly get the opposition in early foul trouble. I am still convinced this team has the 3 point shooting DNA to approach 50% and 85% foul shooting. Confidence is the key to success for this team and they are still searching for that against a quality opponent. Will they find it by Saturday is anyone’s guess. Perhaps another cupcake game next week will instill the confidence to thrash Louisville and Ohio State. Then one last cupcake to solidify that confidence for SEC play. Butler needs to observe how a pass first guard is essential for Pope’s offense to work and then decide whether he will accept that role when healthy.
The Cats had a slim chance in Seattle against Gonzaga. Without Butler they have no chance.