Kentucky Faces Depth Questions as Injuries Mount, Hawthorne's Status Still Uncertain
As Kentucky rolls through the heart of SEC play, the Wildcats are navigating a tough stretch-not just on the court, but in the training room. Head coach Mark Pope is juggling a growing list of injuries, and one name that continues to linger in the background is freshman Braydon Hawthorne.
The highly touted guard has yet to log a minute this season, and while burning his redshirt remains a possibility, there’s a major roadblock: he’s not healthy. Hawthorne is currently sidelined with a calf injury, and until that’s resolved, any talk of activating him remains hypothetical.
“Right now... he’s not healthy,” Pope said after Kentucky’s 72-63 win over Ole Miss at Rupp Arena. “So, we can’t burn the redshirt now, because he’s not healthy.
But certainly, he is an incredibly talented player that could really help us down the road. We’ll see.
He’s got to get healthy first.”
It’s a careful balancing act for Pope. The Wildcats are 20 games into the season, and while the team continues to find ways to win, the backcourt depth is being tested. The coaching staff has been weighing the pros and cons of playing Hawthorne for months, but Pope has made it clear that he’s not going to rush the decision-especially if it risks wasting a year of eligibility with minimal return.
“There’s that fear of, you put him out on the court for three minutes and he never plays again [this season],” Pope said back in December. “And you’re like, ‘Man, coach, you just burned [my redshirt].’
I feel the responsibility. I want to make sure that we take care of him.
He’s a special talent. He’s got a huge future.
So, we’ve got to do it right.”
That future is something Kentucky is clearly invested in, but for now, the focus is on recovery. And with the recent injury to sophomore guard Kam Williams, the conversation around Hawthorne’s potential return has resurfaced.
Williams, who had recently cracked the starting lineup, suffered a broken foot during Kentucky’s win over Texas earlier in the week. On Saturday, Pope confirmed that Williams underwent surgery on Friday-and the early signs are promising.
“[Williams’] surgery was perfect,” Pope said. “It was beautiful. We saw all the imaging, and it was unbelievable, [performed] by a world-renowned surgeon.”
While there’s no official timeline for Williams’ return, the tone from Pope suggests optimism for a full recovery. Still, his absence leaves a significant hole in Kentucky’s rotation, especially with fellow guard Jaland Lowe already ruled out for the season.
Lowe, who’s been battling a shoulder injury, wasn’t even in the building for Saturday’s win. Pope explained that the freshman point guard is traveling for surgery.
“J-Lowe is on his way to get surgery with a surgeon we trust in a different part of the country that our medical crew sent him to,” Pope said.
So, where does that leave Kentucky? In a word: thin.
With Lowe done for the year and Williams out indefinitely, the Wildcats are suddenly staring down a depth chart that’s a little leaner than they’d like. That makes the Hawthorne decision even more delicate.
He’s a player with real upside, but Pope isn’t about to gamble with his long-term development just to patch a short-term hole.
For now, Kentucky is leaning on its remaining backcourt pieces to carry the load. But if Hawthorne can get healthy, and the timing is right, don’t be surprised if Pope makes the call. Until then, it’s a waiting game-one that could have big implications for both the Wildcats’ season and Hawthorne’s career.