Kentucky basketball needed something good to happen. Early on, it didn't look like it was going to.
Jayden Quaintance was already out, Jaland Lowe left before the first TV timeout with his nagging shoulder injury, and Kentucky found itself down 16-6 to Mississippi State. The boo birds were heard in Rupp Arena. With "all the options" on the table, the Cats will take it day by day.
But those boo birds seemed to motivate the Cats, who rallied from down 10 to deliver their best performance against a Power 5 team all season, ultimately winning 92-68.
Mark Pope provided an update on Jaland Lowe's health
Things aren't all great for the Cats, though. Quaintance has knee swelling, and Lowe is dealing with a shoulder that will almost surely need surgical repair at some point.
"We'll know more tomorrow. He tweaked his shoulder... I think all options are on the table. And we'll meet with the doctors... You kind of get a little bit more data information just from how it responds, and I think we'll start the process of making an educated decision. It could be no games, it could be a few games. It could be all the games."
Pope sounded hopeful, but he usually does. Lowe will obviously want to play, but Pope said he has to worry about balancing the "present" while also considering Lowe's future.
If Jaland Lowe can not play, and that is very much on the table, Kentucky needs Jasper Johnson to step up in a way that he has shown glimpses of. Against the Bulldogs, he looked much calmer with the ball in his hands, and Kentucky will need that. Without Lowe, that puts immense pressure on Aberdeen and Chandler to carry the ball handling. If Johnson can play a few minutes off the bench, that creates a much better scenario with Chandler and Aberdeen playing off the ball.
Either way, we will know more about Lowe soon and we will bring it to you as soon as possible.