Kentucky Faces No. 1 Auburn with Key Injury Concerns – Who’s Ready to Play?
The Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up for their biggest challenge of the season as they prepare to host No. 1 Auburn. However, injuries have been a recurring nightmare for Mark Pope’s squad, derailing what was once a top-tier team in college basketball.
Currently sitting mid-pack in the SEC standings, the Wildcats have struggled to maintain momentum since losing key players throughout the season.
Injury Woes: Kentucky’s Tough Road to Auburn
It all started when graduate transfer Kerr Kriisa suffered a foot injury during a neutral-site game against Gonzaga. From there, the injury list kept growing, forcing Kentucky to constantly shuffle its lineup.
During Wednesday’s win over Oklahoma, Kentucky welcomed back Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson, two of its primary guards. While Butler played the entire game, Robinson logged just 12 minutes before heading to the bench, never returning to action.
Naturally, Kentucky fans were concerned, prompting questions for Pope during his Friday media session. When asked about Robinson’s status for the Auburn game, his response wasn’t exactly encouraging.
“Not quite so great,” Pope admitted.
While this leaves the door open for a potential return, a report from Ryan Lemond suggests Robinson may not be available on Saturday.
“I just heard that Jaxson Robinson didn’t even dress out for their practice today at Rupp Arena, so take that for what it’s worth,” Lemond shared.
Kentucky’s Game Plan Without Robinson
If Robinson is indeed sidelined, it leaves Kentucky thin at the point guard position once again. This means Pope will likely turn to freshmen Travis Perry and Colin Chandler to step up and play significant minutes.
For now, the primary goal is to have Robinson healthy in time for the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. With the Wildcats facing the top-ranked team in the country, every available player will need to rise to the occasion.
