Mark Pope calls Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson injuries ‘complicated’ and ‘pretty serious’ — but taking things ‘day by day’

Will Lamont Butler and/or Jaxson Robinson be ready for Kentucky’s trip to Austin to take on Texas this weekend — or anytime soon, for that matter? Mark Pope was vague on return-to-play timelines for both injured Wildcats when previewing the Longhorns on Thursday.

First asked about Butler and his injured shoulder, re-aggravated in UK’s win over Tennessee on Saturday, Pope said the outlook wasn’t totally positive while keeping his answer short and (not so) sweet.

“It was not great. We’re still going day by day, trying some different treatments. We’re going to piece it together,” he said.

How about Robinson, who missed the matchup against the Volunteers after previously playing through a wrist injury in the win over South Carolina last weekend? Pope used that opportunity to dig in a little deeper on both players, calling their issues ‘complicated’ and ‘serious’ while noting they’re navigating both the short- and long-term impact of their situations.

They want to play, but is the risk worth the reward? Thats the main question for now.

“We actually did a third opinion for him yesterday, he’s meeting with the best people in the world. Lamont is, as well,” Pope said. “We’re taking the information and trying to take the best course of action decisions to be made. They’re both pretty complicated situations timing-wise and recovery-wise. There is also a little bit of a guessing part in terms of the best medical treatment at the best time. They’re both pretty serious injuries. The guys are desperate to play and desperate to get healthy, both short-term and long-term.

“It’s balancing all that out with the calendar not just for the season, but for the summer and for next year. Trying to put all those things together and see the returns day-by-day on their medical treatments. That’s where we are right now. I know that’s super vague, but — we could potentially find some clarity on both of those guys in the next couple of weeks, but we’ll see.”

Above all else, Pope feels for them — along with fifth-year guard Kerr Kriisa, out with a broken foot — dealing with these issues in their final seasons of eligibility. They wait their entire careers for this opportunity and it’s taken away from them, whether they are short- or long-term absences.

Any time missed is time they won’t be able to get back at this level, and for that, Pope is crushed.

“It’s devastating. I’m so sad for them. I’m sad for me, I’m sad for the team, but I’m mostly sad for the guys,” he said. “It’s — you’re right here, you’re at Kentucky. We’re in it. You’ve done amazing things this season and we have so much on the table we can chase this year and be a part of. In small ways, it’s been taken from those guys. It’s what you’ve worked your whole life to have the chance to do this, then it’s something beyond your control. It’s hard.”