At this point in the Mark Pope era, the injury report is becoming just as important as the box score.
The Wildcats were already operating with a razor-thin margin for error. With Jaland Lowe out for the season and Jayden Quaintance dealing with a knee issue that has no clear timeline, Kentucky was already short-handed.
That situation got significantly worse on Tuesday night.
The Kam Williams injury
Early in the second half against Texas, Kam Williams began to limp. Mark Pope immediately called a timeout, but instead of heading to the bench to get taped up, Williams went straight down the tunnel.
He exited having played 16 minutes, contributing 9 points on 2-of-3 shooting.
The concern wasn't just that he left, but how he left. The injury appeared to be non-contact—always a massive red flag for trainers and fans alike. Frustratingly, the broadcast did not show a replay of the incident. Midway through the second half, word trickled onto the bench that Williams was officially ruled out with a foot injury.
As of post-game, no further specifics have been released, but we will update his status as soon as information becomes available.
'Next man up' Is getting harder
Kentucky’s trainers are certainly earning their money since Mark Pope has taken over. From Lamont Butler, Kerr Kriisa, Jaxson Robinson to Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and now Kam Williams.
Williams’ insertion into the starting lineup alongside Andrija Jelavic had finally given Kentucky some versatility on the wing. They were rounding into form, and just like so many times before, that will have to start over again. If he is down long-term, it forces Pope to reshuffle the deck and cycle back through his bench.
Expect to see significantly more minutes for Trent Noah, who had a brief cameo down the stretch against Texas. The freshman will likely need to grow up fast if Kentucky’s wing depth takes another hit.