With 6:28 remaining on the clock, Otegah Oweh and Koby Brea knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, helping the Wildcats pull away from a tight 66-65 game to a 72-65 lead. The fact that Kentucky, ranked sixth in the SEC, was struggling to shake off the 13th-seeded Oklahoma Sooners was surprising enough — but what really caught everyone off guard was Mark Pope’s midgame update on Lamont Butler. The Wildcats were fighting to survive in the SEC Tournament, but Pope’s unsettling comments about his starting point guard signaled that the challenge ahead might be even bigger than just Oklahoma.
Matt Jones, host of Kentucky Sports Radio and NFL Preview on ESPN Radio, didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “Mark Pope saying Lamont Butler is getting imaging during a game is not great news,” Jones posted on X — and he wasn’t wrong.
Kentucky’s starting point guard, Lamont Butler, left the SEC Tournament opener after appearing to reinjure his left shoulder on a drive to the basket with 9:45 remaining in the first half. He checked out with 9:35 left and didn’t return for the rest of the half. After an extended talk with Kentucky senior athletic trainer Brandon Wells on the bench, Butler walked to the locker room for further evaluation — a sight no Wildcat fan wanted to see.
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Mark Pope saying Lamont Butler is getting imaging during a game is not great news
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) March 14, 2025
Butler’s injury history made the situation even more concerning. He originally hurt the same shoulder during Kentucky’s win over Texas A&M on January 14. After trying to play through it for two games, he sat out four straight contests before returning on February 8 against South Carolina. But just three days later, he aggravated the injury in a collision with Tennessee’s Chaz Lanier, causing him to miss two more games. Thursday’s SEC opener was Butler’s fifth game back — but his night was cut short once again.
With Butler sidelined, freshman Collin Chandler took over at point guard to start the second half. Butler eventually returned to the bench with 13:11 remaining, but Kentucky confirmed he wouldn’t be back on the floor. The Wildcats held a slim 40-38 lead at halftime and had to adjust their backcourt rotation without their senior floor general. Butler finished with 2 points and 3 assists, but his health going forward could mean far more than his stat line.
More to follow….
