(This story was updated with new information).
Kentucky basketball was in a heavyweight fight with No. 5 Tennessee Tuesday night at Rupp Arena — and had to battle without one of its top players.
In the second half of Tuesday’s SEC showdown, Wildcats guard Lamont Butler sustained a shoulder injury while chasing down a loose ball on the ground. He went immediately into the locker room to be tended to by members of Kentucky’s medical staff.
ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath reported that Kentucky ruled Butler out for the remainder of the game and that he re-aggravated a previous shoulder injury. He returned to the Wildcats bench in a warm-up jacket.
Butler, who had missed three games in recent weeks, finished the game with six points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field. He also had four assists, three rebounds and three steals.
Here’s the latest on Butler’s injury:
Lamont Butler injury update
In the second half of Tuesday’s top-20 matchup against Tennessee, Butler went into the locker room after appearing to aggravate his shoulder on a loose ball play.
As noted by the Louisville Courier Journal’s Ryan Black, Butler was helped to his feet and immediately went back to the locker room without stopping at the Wildcats bench.
McGrath reported that Butler was talking to Kentucky’s trainers in the locker room, and that he was visibly in pain. A few minutes later McGrath reported that when Butler returned to the bench after being tended to by trainers, he shook his head ‘no’ to teammates when they asked if he was returning.
‘They asked him if he could return, he shook his head and said no. We did confirm that it was a reaggravation of that left shoulder injury,’ McGrath said.
Mark Pope comments on Lamont Butler’s injury
Following Kentucky’s win, Wildcats coach Mark Pope told reporters at Rupp Arena that Butler ‘torqued’ his left shoulder a little bit.
‘Super scary. It was right in front of me. The second he went down, you could see as he extended out that he torqued his left shoulder a little bit,’ Pope said. ‘Exactly what we didn’t want to do.
‘He was brave tonight, too. He’s playing as a one-arm bandit out there. … We’ll patch him together.’
Pope also said that he believes trainers can get Butler and guard Jaxson Robinson both healthy before March and the postseason.
‘I do trust that we’ll find a way to get those guys healthy as soon as possible,’ Pope said.
