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LEXINGTON — The possibility of pulling Kentucky basketball freshman Braydon Hawthorne's redshirt is still on the table, coach Mark Pope said Saturday.
There's just one problem.
"Right now ... he's not healthy. So, we can't burn the redshirt now, because he's not healthy," Pope said after UK's 72-63 win over Ole Miss at Rupp Arena. "But certainly, he is an incredibly talented player that could really help us down the road. We'll see. He's got to get healthy first."
Playing Hawthorne is a topic that's been bandied about for months.
"There's that fear of, you put him out on the court for three minutes and he never plays again (this season)," Pope said Dec. 12. "And you're like, 'Man, coach, you just burned (my redshirt).' … I feel the responsibility. (Like), 'I just burned his year and there wasn't a ton of payoff.' I'm very sensitive. I want to make sure that we take care of him.
"He's a special talent. He's got a huge future. So, we've got to do it right."
Now 20 games into the Wildcats' 2025-26 season with no appeareance from Hawthorne, Pope doesn't want to act rashly.
Especially now that the West Virginia native is dealing with a calf injury.
Part of the reason why Hawthorne's availability became a topic Saturday was because of events that transpired earlier in the week.
Kam Williams, a sophomore guard who recently had entered UK's starting lineup, broke his foot in Wednesday's win over Texas.
His status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.
But Pope provided an update Saturday.
"(Williams') surgery was perfect (Friday)," Pope said. "It was beautiful. We saw all the imaging, and it was unbelievable, (performed) by a world-renowned surgeon.
There's no gray area around Jaland Lowe: The point guard is out for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign because of a shoulder injury. He was not in attendance for Saturday's victory, however.
Pope provided an explanation for Lowe's absence.
"J-Lowe is on his way to get surgery with a surgeon we trust in a different part of the country that our medical crew sent him to," Pope said.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mark Pope on Braydon Hawthorne redshirt, Kentucky basketball injuries
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There's just one problem.
"Right now ... he's not healthy. So, we can't burn the redshirt now, because he's not healthy," Pope said after UK's 72-63 win over Ole Miss at Rupp Arena. "But certainly, he is an incredibly talented player that could really help us down the road. We'll see. He's got to get healthy first."
Playing Hawthorne is a topic that's been bandied about for months.
"There's that fear of, you put him out on the court for three minutes and he never plays again (this season)," Pope said Dec. 12. "And you're like, 'Man, coach, you just burned (my redshirt).' … I feel the responsibility. (Like), 'I just burned his year and there wasn't a ton of payoff.' I'm very sensitive. I want to make sure that we take care of him.
"He's a special talent. He's got a huge future. So, we've got to do it right."
Now 20 games into the Wildcats' 2025-26 season with no appeareance from Hawthorne, Pope doesn't want to act rashly.
Especially now that the West Virginia native is dealing with a calf injury.
Kam Williams injury update
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Part of the reason why Hawthorne's availability became a topic Saturday was because of events that transpired earlier in the week.
Kam Williams, a sophomore guard who recently had entered UK's starting lineup, broke his foot in Wednesday's win over Texas.
His status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.
But Pope provided an update Saturday.
"(Williams') surgery was perfect (Friday)," Pope said. "It was beautiful. We saw all the imaging, and it was unbelievable, (performed) by a world-renowned surgeon.
Why was Jaland Lowe not at UK vs Ole Miss game?
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There's no gray area around Jaland Lowe: The point guard is out for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign because of a shoulder injury. He was not in attendance for Saturday's victory, however.
Pope provided an explanation for Lowe's absence.
"J-Lowe is on his way to get surgery with a surgeon we trust in a different part of the country that our medical crew sent him to," Pope said.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Mark Pope on Braydon Hawthorne redshirt, Kentucky basketball injuries
Continue reading...
