Last season’s issues seem to be creeping back into Mark Pope’s second year, as injuries have once again become the storyline in Lexington. The Wildcats have opened the season at 4–2, and while that might not look alarming on paper, both losses came against top-25 opponents — a trend that hasn’t exactly thrilled the Kentucky faithful, especially after the massive roster overhaul and expectations that came with it. One of the biggest blows has been the absence of starting point guard Jaland Lowe, and coach Mark Pope has now provided an injury update on him.

“Jaland Lowe was on the court today in non-contact skill work,” Pope said. “He’s making progress, which is really exciting. It’ll continue to be a day-to-day scenario. It was good to see him, not just in the skill work, but also out there coaching — which is going to be a really important part of what he does when he’s playing on the floor and in practice. We’re trying to give him more and more responsibility. He’s doing well.”

Their recent loss to Michigan State exposed Kentucky’s weaknesses in a big way. The Wildcats struggled to find any rhythm, shooting just 35% from the field and 23% from three against Tom Izzo’s team. The absence of their starting point guard was impossible to ignore. Jaland Lowe was one of the top point guards available in the portal and one of Mark Pope’s most important recruits.

A third-team All-ACC selection, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game last season. He was one of the biggest breakout stars in the conference, jumping from 9.6 points and 3.3 assists as a freshman to becoming a true lead guard in Year 2. For Kentucky, he’s managed to play only two games so far, but already dished out 10 assists.

This is indeed positive news for Mark Pope and co, especially considering there were real concerns that Lowe might need surgery to repair his dislocated shoulder. Lowe originally suffered the injury during the Blue-White Game on Oct. 17, which forced him to miss both exhibition games and the regular-season opener against Nicholls. He eventually returned for the Valparaiso and Louisville game, only to re-injure the same shoulder on Nov. 13.

Right now, Lowe is the only true point guard on Mark Pope’s roster after No. 7 point guard recruit Acaden Lewis decommitted, and Travis Perry chose to transfer to Ole Miss. This wasn’t the scenario Pope had mapped out for the season, but it’s the reality he’s been forced to manage.

Lowe’s return would be a massive boost for the Wildcats as they prepare to face Tennessee Tech, giving them the floor general they’ve been missing. But as things stand, the chances of him suiting up for that matchup still look slim. But there are big games on the horizon. North Carolina, Gonzaga, Indiana, and St. John’s are all top-25 matchups waiting for the Wildcats next month, and Mark Pope will be hoping he has his point guard available for at least some of them.

But there’s another player Mark Pope badly needs for those games, and he’s also currently sidelined with an injury… though his return might be on the way too!

Mark Pope Provides Injury Update on Jayden Quaintance

It goes without saying that the crown jewel of Mark Pope’s $22 million roster is the big man from Arizona State who’s projected to be a future lottery pick — Jayden Quaintance. The youngest player in college basketball last season, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in just 29 minutes per game. His freshman year was cut short after only 24 games due to a ruptured ACL, but the promising news for Kentucky is that he appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery and could return sooner than expected.

“He’s making real progress,” Pope said via On3. “Now we have him up to — I think I’m allowed to say this, cause I’m the head coach, I can say whatever I want, but so he was actually in two-on-two live drills versus scout team yesterday for the first time ever, and I almost had a heart attack cause I thought he just snuck into the drill. I was like B-Wells (trainer Brandon Wells)! But he was like nope, he’s cleared to do it. So he’s making terrific, terrific progress.”

The return of Quaintance would immediately help fix the defensive issues Kentucky has dealt with so far this season. He’s a true rim-protector, recording 21 games with at least one block last year and 11 games with three or more. With one of the toughest stretches of the schedule approaching, Mark Pope will be hoping he finally has his full roster healthy and ready to go.

Do you see the Cats coming out of this upcoming run unscathed? Let us know in the comments below!