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Lamont Butler injury update: Status of Kentucky guard revealed vs. South Carolina

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•about 9 hours•

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Jan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) celebrates during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Jan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) celebrates during the first half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky guards Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson are questionable to play against South Carolina on Saturday, per the SEC injury report. Butler is battling a shoulder injury while Robinson’s ailment is undisclosed.

Lamont Butler hasn’t played since Jan. 25, missing Kentucky’s last three games. During that span, Kentucky has gone 1-2, upsetting Tennessee on the road before losing back-to-back games against Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Butler’s absence has been evident on the court. The two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year is Kentucky’s best perimeter defender, averaging a team-high 1.8 steals per game.

Without Butler on the court, Kentucky has struggled to find stops, giving up 86.7 points per game over its last three outings. Butler is also pivotal to Kentucky’s success on offense and serves as the team’s primary ball handler.

Butler is averaging 13.2 points and a team-high 4.8 assists per game this season while shooting 51.3% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc. On Thursday, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope provided further details on Butler’s condition.

“He’s gonna move around on the court, non-contact a little bit today,” Pope said. “And we’ll just kind of see how it is tomorrow. I don’t know exactly when (his return is) gonna be. I really don’t. We’ll kind of vibe it out.”

With Butler sidelined, Kentucky’s Jaxson Robinson has been forced to shoulder an even greater offensive load. Robinson has averaged 18.3 points per game while Butler has been out with his shoulder injury. For reference, Robinson is averaging 13.6 points per game this season.

The former Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year has been particularly hot from downtown, knocking down 13 of his last 25 attempts from 3-point range. Although Robinson’s excellent play hasn’t nearly translated into wins for the ‘Cats, Mark Pope hasn’t lost faith in his team.

“It’s really painful,” Pope said of Kentucky’s losses. “We get angry with each other on the staff and in the locker room and everywhere else, and there’s frustration and all the things that come with it. But I love the story. I love it.

“It’s super painful. I mean, I did my radio show last night, and I had a couple callers, and you could just feel the pain in their heart and their voice. But it’s the journey that we go on together that’s incredible.”

Kentucky will need Butler and Robinson to get healthy as soon as possible as it prepares to square off against South Carolina at noon ET on Saturday. The game will air live on ESPN2.