Mark Pope is not sure when Lamont Butler, left, and Jaxson Robinson will be back in the lineup. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky coach Mark Pope seldom is at a loss for words. Even after Kentucky losses, he tries to articulate what happened despite his disappointment over the outcome.
That’s why him saying so little Thursday about injuries to guards Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson should really worry UK fans going into Saturday night’s game at Texas and beyond.
Butler re-aggravated a shoulder injury in Tuesday night’s win over Tennessee. He was battling for a loose ball when a Tennessee player fell and landed on the “sweet spot” on his shoulder that he hurt a few weeks earlier.
“It was not great. We’re still going day by day, trying some different treatments. We’re going to piece it together,” Pope said.
Piece it together?
The news did not sound any better about Robinson who hurt his wrist in practice the day before the South Carolina game last week and then didn’t play against Tennessee. Instead, he had a brace on his right wrist.
Pope said Thursday that Robinson got a third medical opinion Wednesday indicating that the first two were either very different or Robinson/UK were hoping a third opinion might be more optimistic.
He’s meeting with the best people in the world,” Pope said. “We’re kind of taking in information, trying to figure out (the) course of action, decisions to be made.”
Many have wondered how Robinson was cleared to play Saturday and then ruled out for the game on Tuesday. Did he make the injury worse by playing against South Carolina?
“It was just like ‘There’s no way I’m not playing in this game,’” Pope said. “I think under the circumstances he was just there. It was a quick enough turnaround from when he originally felt the injury to be like ‘I can go gut this out.’ So I think that was just him being like ‘There’s no way I’m missing (the game),’” Pope said.
The Kentucky coach then sounded even more ominous about both injuries.
“They’re both pretty complicated situations timing-wise and recovery-wise. There is also a little bit of a guessing part in terms of the best medical treatment at the best time,” Pope said. “They’re both pretty serious injuries. The guys are desperate to play and desperate to get healthy, both short-term and long-term.
“It’s balancing all that out with the calendar not just for the season, but for the summer and for next year. Trying to put all those things together and see the returns day-by-day on their medical treatments. That’s where we are right now.
“I know that’s super vague, but — we could potentially find some clarity on both of those guys in the next couple of weeks, but we’ll see.”
Next couple of weeks? Does that mean UK could be without both players for the next three or four games? And don’t forget that guard Kerr Kriisa remains out with a foot injury suffered in early December that was first predicted to sideline him for four to six weeks. It has now been over two months and counting since he played.
This is the last year of college basketball for all three and Pope knows how much they want to play and how much UK fans want them to play.
“It’s devastating. I’m so sad for them. I’m sad for me, I’m sad for the team, but I’m mostly sad for the guys. You’re right here, you’re at Kentucky. We’re in it. You’ve done amazing things this season and we have so much on the table we can chase this year and be a part of,” Pope said.
“In small ways, it’s been taken from those guys. It’s what you’ve worked your whole life to have the chance to do this, then it’s something beyond your control. It’s hard.”
3 Responses
Butler, Robinson, and Kriisa are out. We have to take on each game with the players we have and we still have a decent team. We really do have to focus on each game and that game only, because another loss puts us in peril of having to play on Thursday in the SEC tourney. The standings will change over the next 3 weeks and we still have a shot at a double bye in the SEC tourney. We will not be able to outscore teams now; we have to win with defense and rebounding. We can do it! Go CATS!!!
And apparently with Carr still not 100% it is unbelievable that we have a 1/3 of a team on injury list…still seems a little mysterious.
The depth will get significant minutes with the injuries, and the experience will be needed in the post season.
Butler & Carr are both needed at100%.
They are the ultimate TEAM players among those who have started, and raise the level of play of others on the court with them.
Robinson is not as valuable as those 2 as far as the post season run is concerned, but UK needs for ALL the players – even Krissa if at all possible – to be 100% healthy ASAP.