Kentucky’s preseason injury picture is already getting crowded, and Trent Noah’s latest setback is the latest concern for a team that has not been able to keep bodies intact.
After Friday night’s exhibition against Little Rock, Mark Pope said Noah is still trying to work his way back after re-aggravating the hamstring issue he dealt with earlier this summer. The update wasn’t encouraging.
“With Trent, he’s kind of struggling a little bit right now to regain his health,” Pope said. “It makes it even more important that we get Kam back on time.
So we’re hopeful. We’re hopeful.”
Noah remains out, and the fact that the same hamstring has already been an issue several times makes the situation feel even more delicate as the season approaches.
Kam Williams, meanwhile, is moving in the right direction. The forward is recovering from a second surgery on the broken foot he suffered in February.
He made it back for the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, but after his recovery stalled, he needed another procedure. Now he appears close to being cleared to practice, and Kentucky clearly needs that progress to keep moving.
The Wildcats are also waiting on several other injured players. Milan Momcilovic jammed his finger before the season but is healthy again and played against Little Rock. Jerone Morton injured his knee and will be re-evaluated in several weeks.
For Pope, the issue is bigger than any one player. His first two seasons in Lexington have been shaped by one injury after another, making it hard to settle on a reliable rotation or get the best group on the floor together.
That pattern started in his first season, when Kentucky lost Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa to injuries. Lamont Butler was also in and out late in the year.
Last season brought more of the same, with Jaland Lowe sidelined and Williams missing a significant stretch because of the foot injury. Jayden Quaintance never fully recovered from his torn ACL in time to contribute on the court.
With another season now underway, Kentucky is still trying to get healthy enough to build some continuity. The Wildcats need Williams, Noah and Morton to get back into the mix, and they need that process to happen soon.
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Kentucky's Linebacker Situation Just Took Another Unexpected Turn
Kentuckys inside linebacker picture got a little clearer, at least for the moment, when Alex Afari was granted eligibility to play by a temporary injunction from Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards. The ruling comes amid a lawsuit challenging how the NCAA is applying its new five-year eligibility rules to players who graduated high school in 2022, and it adds another twist to a situation that has already moved through multiple legal decisions.
For Kentucky, the timing matters because Afaris status directly affects a depth chart that has been under pressure at inside linebacker. His return gives the Wildcats another option in a spot where every available body counts, even as the larger eligibility fight continues to play out in court. [Read more 🡒]