Kentucky to Face Vanderbilt Without Butler, Robinson, and Kriisa

As No. 17 Kentucky prepares for its matchup against Vanderbilt on Wednesday night, the Wildcats will be without three key players. The team’s availability report confirmed that Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, and Kerr Kriisa will all be out, leaving Kentucky shorthanded yet again as it continues to navigate injuries.

Head coach Mark Pope provided updates on all three players, shedding light on where they stand in their respective recoveries.

Kriisa, who has been sidelined since Dec. 7, remains eager to return but has faced a slower recovery than expected.

“Right now, I know he’s anxiously trying to get back into this thing,” Pope said. “The recovery has been probably a little bit slower than any of us would like. That’s going to continue to be an ongoing process.”

Kriisa, a fifth-year senior, has only appeared in nine games this season, averaging 4.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. While there is still hope that he could return at some point, Pope acknowledged that it remains an ongoing evaluation.

As for Butler, who re-injured his shoulder against Tennessee, there is some optimism regarding his progress. However, he has yet to return to live practice.

“For Lamont, he’s actually moving pretty well,” Pope said. “He still hasn’t practiced with live play, but for him, it’s just a matter of how far along does he have to get where he could actually take a hit in the game? That’s the biggest question for him. That’s going to be a little bit of a guessing game. We’ll try and get him some live stuff in practice over the next week or so.”

Butler has been a vital piece of Kentucky’s backcourt this season, averaging 12.5 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game. His absence has forced Kentucky to rely on younger players like Travis Perry and Trent Noah to step up in the rotation.

Meanwhile, Robinson, who first injured his wrist in practice and then tried to play on it against South Carolina—where he re-injured it—has been unable to do much with his right hand. Pope joked that the fifth-year senior forward has been working on his left-handed shooting instead.

“For Jax, he still hasn’t done anything with his right hand. He’s done a ton of left-handed shooting and probably unsurprisingly, he’s making a lot of shots left-handed,” Pope said. “So I am actually pushing him to just tie up the right wrist, just get that thing safe in a big cast, and let’s go just play lefty on Wednesday. I’m not sure he’s prepared to do that.”

Robinson, averaging 13.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, has been one of Kentucky’s most reliable scorers this season. His absence will once again put pressure on Kentucky’s depth as the Wildcats look to avoid another setback in SEC play.

With three key players out, Kentucky will have to lean on its remaining roster to handle business against Vanderbilt. While the team has shown resilience through injuries, Pope and his staff continue to navigate an uncertain path as they await the return of some of their top contributors.