Mark Pope cracks postgame joke on Lamont Butler injury, tape on shoulder

It would take a lot more than a couple of injuries and a bulky shoulder brace to stop Lamont Butler from playing in March Madness. After Kentucky defeated Troy 76-57 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, Wildcats head coach Mark Pope joked about his starting point guard’s condition.

“I’m really proud of our guys. They’ve battled so much, like Lamont. Lamont’s arms are hanging on by a thread,” Pope said with a smile. “They’re actually taped together and he’s out here competing, and our whole roster is doing the same thing.

“I’m really proud of our guys and happy for them that we get to stay alive a while longer. We love playing together. We love being together. And we know that we got to keep winning to do that, so I’m happy for our guys.”

Butler has played with a massive brace on his left shoulder for nearly half of the season. In fact, the injury has caused him to miss eight games this season.

Last weekend, Butler missed another outing after suffering a separate injury in Kentucky’s win over Oklahoma in the SEC Tournament. Butler’s absence was obvious in Kentucky’s blowout loss to Alabama in the conference tournament quarterfinals.

Butler is a veteran presence on offense, averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 assists per game. Butler’s shoulder brace seems to hurt his shooting motion occasionally but Kentucky’s offense runs far smoother with him on the court.

Butler didn’t score in Kentucky’s win against Troy but he recorded three assists and, more importantly, did what he does best: played excellent defense. Butler is a former Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.

He matched up often with Troy’s primary ball handler on Friday and caused constant issues for the Trojans. When asked after the game how he was handling his injuries, Butler deflected the question.

“I’m doing alright. We won, so I’m excited. We’ve got to play better on Sunday,” Butler said.

On Sunday, Kentucky will square off against the winner between 6-seed Illinois and 11-seed Xavier with a chance to return to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2019. The time hasn’t been announced for the matchup yet but Mark Pope is excited for the opportunity.

“I think I have a roster of guys that are so excited to play in this tournament and eager to play,” Pope said last week. “These young guys still have a bunch left in the tank. 

“I expect each of these veterans to have the moments that you think about these One Shining Moments in the tournament. It’s kind of the same way we’ve been all year. We’ve had different guys step up at different moments and games, and I expect that we’re gonna see that a lot more moving forward.”