Mark Pope explains how Kentucky has been impacted by Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance injuries

It’s been a difficult season for the Kentucky Wildcats, which opened the season ranked No. 9 in the AP Preseason Poll. Mark Pope‘s team, lauded as a National Title contender, however opened the year with a disappointing 5-4 record and dropped out of the AP Poll Rankings completely.

Since Kentucky‘s embarrassing 94-59 loss to No. 11 Gonzaga on Dec. 5, the ‘Cats have gone 5-2 with wins over Indiana, No. 22 St. John’s, and Mississippi State. They’ve continued to deal with injury issues surrounding former five-star forward Jayden Quaintance and point guard Jaland Lowe, who was revealed to have been shut down for the season during Monday night’s ‘Mark Pope Show’.

Quaintance and Lowe played in just three games together before Lowe’s season came to an end. The ‘Cats were 1-2 in such games, with the win over St. John’s and losses to No. 14 Alabama and Missouri.

Mark Pope on how Kentucky’s injuries have impacted them

Mark Pope discussed how Kentucky has been impacted by its injuries this season during a Monday press conference.

“It’s been a challenge not unlike every team faces,” Pope said. “So, it’s not a unique challenge in the sense that everyone’s facing it. But, it is a challenge in trying to establish an identity. Mostly, because those two pieces are very unique to our team. Jaland Lowe brings something to our team that nobody else brings to our team, and [Jayden Quaintance] brings something to our team that nobody else brings.

“They’re both important parts of it. It’s not like we just move onto the next guy in the same way. We have to re-tool things and move onto the next guy. That part’s been a challenge, but it’s the same challenge that everyone else faces every single season.”

Quaintance made his season debut in the St. John’s game and played in four consecutive games before missing the Mississippi State game with knee swelling. In what has already been a difficult season for Kentucky, pressure will continue to mount as two of its most important players are either out for the season/not at 100%.

Injuries will force Kentucky’s players to step into bigger roles

Lowe left the Mississippi State game early in the first half Saturday night with the shoulder injury, which effectively ended his season. Things certainly looked bleak for the ‘Cats following the injury, but they outscored the Bulldogs 88-61 to earn their first SEC victory of the season.

This void now leaves Denzel Aberdeen, Collin Chandler, and Jasper Johnson to assume point guard duties, while Quaintance’s injury uncertainty leaves Malachi Moreno and Brandon Garrison to up their game as Kentucky‘s go-to bigs.

With big games against No. 24 Tennessee, No. 10 Vanderbilt, and No. 17 Arkansas on the horizon, Kentucky will need to rack up some resume-sweetening wins to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the past 16 seasons.