Lamont Butler is Getting Healthier By the Day

Kentucky point guard Lamont Butler with his father Lamont Butler Sr.

Will Lamont Butler play against Colgate tonight?

The Kentucky starting point guard injured his ankle against Clemson last week but finished the game where UK suffered its first loss. He did not play at Gonzaga Saturday when the Cats overcame an 18-point deficit to win. However, backup point guard Kerr Kriisa broke a bone in his foot in that game and is out “indefinitely” according to UK.

“He said he is getting healthier by the day,” Lamont Butler Sr. said on WPBK-FM Tuesday.  “He should be able to go soon. He said he is getting around the clock treatments.”

Butler’s parents were in Seattle and his father admitted there were a few anxious moments when the Cats were behind by 18 points.

‘I was hoping he could dress and go get in the game,” Butler Sr. joked. “At the end of the day Kentucky is so good and has so many pieces it did not matter. Selfishly I wanted Lamont out there just because of the confidence he puts in his players.”

Butler hurt his ankle with about 10 minutes left in the loss to Clemson but after briefly leaving the court returned and finished the game.

“He blocks pain out. He played most of last year (at San Diego State) with an ankle injury and no one knew it,” Butler Sr. said. “He knows if the team needs it he will be out there. That was his will on the inside of him that kept him going at Clemson.

“He was telling me could have gone to the basket more but he could not push off. He went to the rim when he came back in and the ankle really hurt. So after that he just acted like he was attacking and then just passed the ball.”

The only time he’s missed significant playing time was his sophomore year at San Diego State when he broke his wrist dunking the ball and missed about a month.

“He has a high tolerance for pain. He wants to be out there playing,” the UK point guard’s father said. “So as soon as he can play, he’s going to play and he’s going to put the work in to get back out there as soon as he can.”