Jaland Lowe opens up about the 'hardest time' of his life in emotional interview

For weeks, Jaland Lowe’s status hung over Kentucky basketball like a cloud. “Day-to-day forever” became the running joke, but there was nothing funny about it for the transfer point guard.

Speaking to Field of 68 after Kentucky’s 'gross' win over Indiana, Lowe pulled back the curtain on just how heavy the last month has been.

“It feels amazing, it means everything to us,” Lowe said of the win. “Going into this game it was the biggest game of the year for us… our backs were against the wall.”

“One of the hardest times of my life”

Lowe didn’t sugarcoat what the shoulder injury has done to him mentally.

“Man… going through one of the hardest times of my life right now. I am at my dream school right now, I want to play with these guys… I just want to be out there… Not having something that’s in your control is pretty hard… I have a great group of people around me.”

That’s the part fans don’t always see. While message boards debated his timeline and rotation fit, Lowe was wrestling with the fear that his dream year might be slipping away without him on the court.

Against Indiana, he finally got to channel all of that frustration into something positive for an extended period of time.

Jaland Lowe is the tone with effort for Kentucky basketball

Lowe highlighted a sequence that everyone in Rupp felt: his dive for a loose ball near the sideline.

“I think it just shows I am here, I am all in. I am going to do whatever it takes to win… not going to hold back at all… I want to win… I am going to pour my heart out.”

That play matched what the box score hinted at. Lowe helped spearhead a defensive effort that held Indiana to 33% shooting and just 60 points, including 21 in the second half.

The intensity, he said, started days before.

“Yeah, for sure. I think it started with our intensity in practice… You know just going out there and fighting.”

On Mo Dioubate and a different walk around campus

Lowe also raved about the return of Mo Dioubate, who posted a double-double in his first game back from an ankle injury.

“Yeah, no doubt, we miss it every single day. You try and get that out of other guys… some guys are just special. Mo is special… it meant everything for us… he is ecstatic right now.”

As for life on campus, Lowe knows exactly what a win like this does for the vibe around the program.

“We know the expectations here… we know our fans are kinda disappointed in the way we are playing… we got to bring it every single day no matter what… We got a lot of fighters and we are going to keep on fighting.”

The shoulder saga isn’t magically over. But Lowe’s message was clear: he’s all-in, and he understands exactly what it means to play point guard at Kentucky in a season where everything has felt fragile.