Kentucky’s backcourt nightmare gets even worse with Jaland Lowe’s latest injury

Kentucky basketball just cannot get out of the training room right now. Jaland Lowe has been fighting this shoulder for weeks. He went down early in the Blue White scrimmage, fought his way back to play against Louisville, then tweaked it again in practice. Ever since, he has been running around with that massive brace, knowing every possession came with the risk of one wrong hit.

That risk turned into reality in Atlanta.

Jaland Lowe’s setback is a gut punch for Kentucky’s backcourt and their season

Only about twenty seconds after checking in against St. John’s, Lowe tried to make a routine play and everything stopped. The play itself did not look like much. There was not a huge collision, nothing that made you gasp in real time. But you could see it on his face immediately. He grabbed at the shoulder, pulled his arm in tight, and headed straight to the locker room. No talking, no testing it on the bench, just a straight walk off the floor.

So far there has been no official update on the severity, but anyone who has watched this team all year felt their stomach drop. Lowe was finally starting to look like himself again. For the season he is averaging 5.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists, even while shooting just 27.3 percent from the field. Against Indiana he gave Kentucky his best game with 13 points and 5 rebounds and looked like a real answer at the point of attack.

Now you are right back in the same place. No real depth behind Denzel Aberdeen. More pressure on Otega Oweh to handle the ball. More minutes for guys who were supposed to be off the ball, not living on it. In a season where Kentucky needs every guard to hit their ceiling, the Wildcats might be losing one just as he was starting to turn the corner.

Until an official diagnosis comes out all you can do is wait, but the reality is simple. Lowe walking back to that locker room felt like the entire Kentucky backcourt walking with him.