Kentucky Basketball head coach Mark Pope offered an encouraging update on Jaland Lowe during his radio show Monday night, emphasizing both optimism and caution as the Wildcats enter SEC play.
Lowe was held
out of Kentucky’s Dec. 23 matchup against Bellarmine as a precaution due to his lingering shoulder injury, a decision Pope said was made with the bigger picture in mind. Despite the night off, the guard has appeared in four straight games after previously missing five in a row earlier this season.
“Jaland is looking terrific,” Pope said. “We’re just being cautious with him. We’re trying to keep him, for the rest of the season, we’ll probably keep him around somewhat limited full-contact reps, but he’s got some in over the last two days. He’s looked really good.”
The most dramatic moment in Lowe’s return came Saturday against St. John’s. He played just seven seconds in the first half after re-aggravating his shoulder, sending a brief wave of concern through Big Blue Nation. Lowe returned after halftime and delivered a gutty performance, scoring 13 points with three rebounds and three assists in just 15 second-half minutes.
That showing followed a recent stretch where Lowe began to find his rhythm, particularly in Kentucky’s win over Indiana. His season has been stop-and-start since he first injured his shoulder during the Blue-White Scrimmage, but he came back to play in the Nov. 11 loss at Louisville.
After that, he injured his shoulder again during practice, which forced him to miss five consecutive games before returning against Gonzaga on Dec. 5.
With SEC play looming, Pope’s message was clear: Lowe is trending in the right direction, and Kentucky is determined to keep him healthy for the long haul. Here’s to hoping it plays out that way for the Cats as they look to reach their ceiling.
