Kentucky will be starting over yet again this season when it takes on LSU on Wednesday night in Baton Rouge.
The Wildcats (10-6, 1-2 Southeastern Conference) will be without point guard Jaland Lowe for the remainder of the season after he re-injured his shoulder in the Wildcats’ 92-68 win over Mississippi State last Saturday night. Kentucky coach Mark Pope announced on his radio show on Monday night that Lowe would undergo shoulder surgery that will sideline his starting point guard for the rest of the year.
The recovery time is estimated to be six months, but Lowe could apply for a medical hardship and have two years of eligibility remaining. Pope admitted the Wildcats simply ran out of options available to keep Lowe on the court.
"We have pushed the envelope on him in every way you think about since the Blue-White game and he's dislocated his shoulders three times now,” Pope said Monday night. “Every time it's been with less and less contact. He's tweaked it in a game and tweaked it once in practice to add on top of that.
“We searched, tried every possible reasonable scenario to have him continue on. Just made the wise and right decision today that he'll go have surgery and so he'll be out for the season.”
Earlier this season, Pope relied on a committee to run the point in the absence of Lowe. It’s not known whether Pope will split the duties between veterans Collin Chandler and Denzel Aberdeen or give freshman Jasper Johnson an opportunity to fill the slot.
"We'll see, but Jasper's ready," Pope said. "He's gone through a non-conference season, he's worked really hard every single day and he's showing on the court. His numbers didn't jump out and grab you in the game, but the force and the decisiveness that he played with in the game, both on the offense and the defense.
“I was really pleased with it. He's ready to go make a contribution and we need him to. Regardless the health on our team, we need him to because he brings a unique skill set, so he's improving and growing."
Kentucky will also be without Jayden Quaintance for a second consecutive game, according to the SEC injury report released Tuesday night.
The Tigers (12-4, 0-3 SEC) opened the season with 12 wins in their first 13 games, but have lost their first three conference games, including an 84-73 decision at No. 10 Vanderbilt last Saturday.
SMITH HONORED
Former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith was honored by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Tuesday and will receive the Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Basketball Award.
Smith, who also coached at Tulsa, Georgia, High Point, Texas Tech, Minnesota and Memphis, compiled a 642-370 record during his career and led the Wildcats to a national title in 1998. Smith went 263-83 during his 10 seasons as coach of the Wildcats.
“I’m grateful for the Naismith Award and honored to be recognized along with Coach VanDerveer and to be included among so many legendary previous awardees,” Smith said. “I feel blessed to have had an incredible career leading, coaching, and teaching great young men at top institutions. I hope that the lessons that I taught will continue to impact them, both on and off the court and throughout their lives.”
Smith and retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer will be honored at the Final Four in Indianapolis.
GAMETRACKER: Kentucky at LSU, 6 p.m.CT, Wednesday. TV/Radio: SECN, UK Radio Network on 94.7 The Mix and WiLLiE 102.
Jasper Johnson could see more minutes in the absence of Jaland Lowe for the remainder of the season. (Keith Taylor/Kentucky Today)
