Lamont Butler’s availability for Kentucky’s next game against Colgate on December 11th remains uncertain after he was sidelined due to an ankle injury during the Gonzaga game. While there is optimism he could return, it’s still unclear. Here’s what we know so far:
Butler was close to playing against Gonzaga. He tested his injured ankle during shootaround, but ultimately, the coaching staff decided he wasn’t quite ready. The risk of re-injury was too high, so they chose to hold him out. Coach Mark Pope emphasized Butler’s progress, which is promising despite the setback.
Pope commented after the game, “He came to shootaround today and we tried to push it a bit, but it wasn’t working. Lamont is definitely making progress.”
The team is also concerned about Kerr Kriisa, who suffered a non-contact injury in the Gonzaga game, raising further doubts about his availability. Pope was optimistic about Kriisa’s toughness but confirmed imaging would be needed to assess the injury once the team returned to Lexington.
If neither Butler nor Kriisa can play against Colgate, Pope may opt to have Jaxson Robinson run the point again, as he did in the Gonzaga game. Another possibility is giving freshman Travis Perry some minutes to gain experience in a less challenging matchup.
