Kentucky Staying the Course at Point Guard as Jaland Lowe Battles Through Injury
With Jaland Lowe working his way through a nagging shoulder injury, the question naturally surfaced: would Kentucky look to add a point guard midseason? But head coach Mark Pope isn’t entertaining that idea-not yet, and maybe not at all.
Heading into the Wildcats’ matchup with Bellarmine, Pope made it clear he’s not hitting the panic button. Despite Lowe’s recent injury scare, the second-year head coach believes his starting point guard is going to be just fine moving forward.
“I have every expectation Jaland is going to be with us the whole season, and we’re excited about it,” Pope said.
That confidence isn’t just coach-speak. It’s rooted in what Lowe showed during Kentucky’s last outing against St.
John’s. After re-aggravating his right shoulder just seven seconds into the first half-his third flare-up since October-Lowe looked like he might be done for the night, maybe longer.
But then halftime came and went, and there he was, back on the floor, lacing up for the second half.
And not just playing-thriving. Lowe dropped 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, dished out three assists, and grabbed three rebounds in 15 second-half minutes. It was, as Pope put it, “the best showing that he’s had for us by far.”
“I’m surprised,” Pope admitted. “As we finished our halftime meeting with the team, (trainer) Brandon Wells grabbed me and said, ‘Hey, I think he’s good.
I think he’s okay to go.’ He was working a lot on adrenaline, for sure.
You talk about another player who is just dying to be on the court and compete with the guys. With some trepidation, he was like, ‘No, I feel good, I feel strong.
I feel okay.’”
That kind of resilience is exactly what Kentucky needs as it heads into the heart of the season. And while Lowe’s status will continue to be monitored-he was still sore the day after the St. John’s game-Pope is optimistic about his recovery and long-term availability.
“We’ll see how it is tomorrow,” Pope said. “We’ll continue to proceed with caution with these guys. He’s bounced back really fast, so I know he’s got great basketball in him.”
Still, if Lowe were to miss time, Pope isn’t scrambling for external solutions. He believes the answer is already on the roster.
“We have a great roster. I’m not sure we’re shopping a lot right now,” Pope said.
“We have an unbelievable amount of faith in our guys, first of all, with Jaland. Jasper [Johnson] is going to grow into a starring role.
He’s been so good. D.A.
[Denzel Aberdeen] is becoming more and more and more comfortable becoming a full-time point, but also being on the move at the two.”
That’s not just coachspeak-it’s a reflection of how Kentucky has built this team. Johnson, the freshman phenom, has already shown flashes of star potential. Aberdeen, meanwhile, is quietly carving out a bigger role, showing he can toggle between the one and the two with growing confidence.
“I love our roster right now, and we’re excited about this group,” Pope added. “I think we have an incredible, incredible run ahead of us. That’s what we’re thinking about with this roster right now.”
So, no midseason shopping spree. No emergency transfers. Just a vote of confidence in the guys who’ve already bought in.
As Kentucky prepares for Bellarmine and then turns the page to SEC play in January, all eyes will be on Lowe’s health. But if he can stay on the floor-and if Johnson and Aberdeen continue their upward trajectory-the Wildcats look ready to ride with what they’ve got.
And Pope? He’s all in.