Last season, Mark Pope did the unthinkable.
With a roster he only had a few months to craft after being hired as Kentucky’s next head coach, he led the Wildcats to eight wins over Associated Press top 15 opponents, tying the most in college basketball history, and a Sweet 16 run.
That 15-man roster became one of Kentucky’s most memorable teams in recent years, but injuries derailed its March Madness run.
The Wildcats battled to the very end, but it became clear they simply didn’t have the bench depth to survive the injury crisis.
This year, Pope crafted yet another 15-man roster, one loaded with top transfers, ranked recruits and returning stars.
However, this time, it was built with depth, with hopes the team could withstand the grueling schedule ahead — and have the insurance Kentucky lacked when injuries took over last season.
“I think it’s (depth) going to serve us well as we go through the long season and face all the challenges that you face, including injuries,” Pope said on Media Day back in October.
Having a team loaded with the sheer talent Kentucky’s roster boasted, one of the biggest questions going into the season was how Pope was going to balance the playing time, starting lineups and bench rotations.
Now, Kentucky is getting its answer — just not in the way anyone wanted.
Unfortunately for Pope and his team, depth is no longer a luxury; it is all that stands between the Cats and an NCAA Tournament spot.
Kentucky had injury problems before the team had even played a game together.
Jayden Quaintance joined the Cats while battling an ACL tear and wouldn’t check in for the blue and white until late December against No. 22 St. John’s.
However, in his debut for the blue and white, he put out in a performance that left everyone in awe.
In just 17 minutes of play, Quaintance put up 10 points while shooting 71.4% from the field, totaled eight rebounds and two blocks.
After months of waiting, the nation got to see Kentucky’s future NBA lottery draft pick in action, and it looked like he was going to bring the Cats to another level.
Unfortunately, the glimmer of hope dimmed as quickly as it lit.
In his next three games, he would total only 10 points, two steals, a block and 12 rebounds.
Quaintance hasn’t been on the court since Kentucky’s catastrophic loss to Missouri on Jan. 7, reportedly having continual struggles with his knee.
However, in his absence, Kentucky had a player like Malachi Moreno ready to take the reins.
He was putting up great numbers early on, but when battling for a starting spot against a projected top-five NBA draft pick, he lost his starting spot.
The freshman was rotated back into the starting five against Mississippi State — and it’s easy to say he didn’t take that moment for granted. He put up 17 points while shooting 80% from the field, eight rebounds (six offensive), six assists and four steals.
Against LSU, it was a final-second buzzer-beater by Moreno to give Kentucky the 17-point comeback win.
Against No. 24 Tennessee, it was a block on the final play to prevent the Vols from forcing overtime.
Against the Longhorns, he finished with eight points, four rebounds, six assists and a monster five blocks.
Moreno has been the saving grace for Kentucky in the paint, and in the absence of Quaintance, the depth of Moreno was able to keep the Cats afloat. However, even with answers in Moreno, Quaintance wouldn’t be the only starter that the Cats would have to replace.
Jaland Lowe came to Kentucky with expectations of being one of the Cats’ top offensive weapons.
Unfortunately for him, the injury bug would strike him before ever stepping on the court at Rupp.
In the preseason Blue and White game, he dislocated his right shoulder.
While it initially seemed to be an injury that only needed some time off to recover, it would become a recurring problem, and after multiple re-dislocations, it would be the final blow against Mississippi State. Lowe would be ruled out with season-ending shoulder surgery.
With his on-and-off injury struggles, Kentucky was in search of the next man up, and found its missing piece in Kam Williams.
Williams has been a slow burner all season. In some games, he would shoot for only a few points; in others, like his breakout game against Bellarmine, would pop out with a 26-point performance, led by 10 made 3-pointers.
He was arguably the best shooter on the team, and with a more consistent shooting percentage to wrap up defensive play, it was unsurprising to see him named a starter in Lowe’s place.
Following Lowe’s injury in the Mississippi State game, Williams would take three starts — against LSU, No. 24 Tennessee and Texas.
While his scoring margins were low, he seemed to always make the right play at the right time and, more importantly, show a level of fight and grit the team had been lacking.
It seemed that Kentucky had found its guy — but the relief ended as quickly as it came.
Only two minutes into the second half of the Cats’ most recent game against Texas, Williams limped off the court after suffering a non-contact injury.
Later, it was revealed he had broken his foot and would be out for a significant amount of time, whether it be season-ending or not.
As quickly as Lowe’s injury had an answer, it was now Williams who needed one.
“We feel for him, super unfortunate that he (Williams) went down, you know, we just got to fight. We got to fight for him. We had the next man up mentality, and I know he would, if it was anyone else, he would want us to, you know, go out there and, you know, still perform. So we got to — we got to do that,” Otega Oweh said after the game.
Luckily for Kentucky, there was someone ready to take over in his place against the Longhorns — Collin Chandler.
As Williams was helped into the locker room, Chandler was heading onto the court.
“We all watch Kam walk off the floor, and that’s like a — that’s a gut punch,” Pope said following the game. “The only thing we can do for Kam right now is go play … and that brings guys together.”
All year, Chandler had been a key rotational player for Kentucky, but not always the most consistent. Luckily for BBN, the BYU transfer would end with a career-high 18 points — 14 of them coming after Williams’ injury.
He shot 5-for-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe, while also grabbing seven rebounds and forcing two steals.
“I think, you know, he’s (Williams) a very good 3-point shooter. You asked me about Collin Chandler, but all I would tell you is — if Kam Williams didn’t get injured tonight, Collin Chandler might not have had 18 points,” Texas head coach Sean Miller said.
“They have great depth. You know, they have the ability to bring guys in off the bench that can make a difference, make plays. Collin Chandler was 6-for-6 from the line, 18 points. He really hurt us tonight,” Miller said.
Miller’s praise highlighted what makes Kentucky so dangerous: no matter the circumstances, no matter the five on the court, Kentucky’s fight never falters.
After the game, Oweh echoed that same mentality, and no matter the scoreboard, they’ll play to the very last whistle.
“We’re a resilient group. No matter what the score is, we’re gonna always fight. Close, not close. If we’re up by 20, if we’re down by 20 — we’re gonna always fight. So it just shows our style, how we play. That’s a great way to play. You know, every single, every single game, you know, we’re never gonna quit. We’re always gonna have some fight with us,” Oweh said.
As a veteran, Oweh knows all too well the expectations that are set for Kentucky. The fight the Cats have shown in times of adversity is a simple reflection of the foundation the program is built on.
“What you don’t understand if you are not here at Kentucky is that this is all the pressure, always. If we had three players on this roster, the expectation would be we would still go win a national championship. That never changes here. It’s one of the things that sets Kentucky apart from everyone else,” Pope said in October.
Kentucky has far more than three players — but right now, it’s playing without a starting trio.
Still, Pope and his players know the expectations don’t change, no matter the circumstance.
If anything, the adversity has forced Kentucky to lean on its depth, creating opportunities for new contributors to emerge and, more importantly, strengthening the bond that will bring this team together when the season demands it most.
