Kentucky head coach Mark Pope offered a guarded update on junior point guard Jaland Lowe after he re-aggravated his injured shoulder in Saturday’s win over Mississippi State.
Lowe was dealing with significant discomfort the following day, prompting the staff to seek additional medical opinions. Pope said he had hoped Lowe would wake up feeling much better, but that wasn’t the case. The team planned to meet later in the day to discuss next steps and determine a possible plan moving forward.
The shoulder injury dates back earlier in the season, and Lowe has been playing through it for several weeks. After it flared up again against Mississippi State, Pope acknowledged that all options are on the table — including the possibility of season-ending surgery — depending on how the injury responds.
Through nine games, Lowe is averaging 8.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game, shooting 35.8% from the floor and 20.8% from beyond the arc. Before the latest setback, he appeared to be finding his rhythm, scoring in double figures in three consecutive games against Indiana, St. John’s, and Alabama.
More information could come soon, as the SEC availability report is set to be released Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET, which should offer the next official update on Lowe’s status.
For now, Kentucky remains in a holding pattern, hoping its electric guard can find a healthy way back onto the court. At this point, Lowe is not expected to play Wednesday night on the road against LSU.