Cats limp into Texas, leaning on reserves, newcomers to carry the load

LEXINGTON (KT) — Kentucky has proven it can win without its top players this season and the Wildcats will again be shorthanded at Texas on Saturday.

Although limping going into the final three weeks of the regular season, the No. 15 Wildcats (17-7, 6-5 Southeastern Conference) have pieced together a string of impressive victories, including a 75-64 win over fifth-ranked Tennessee earlier this week to complete a regular-season sweep of the Volunteers.

Kentucky has played just seven games this season with a full roster and likely will be without guards Lamont Butler (shoulder) and Jaxson Robinson (wrist) on Saturday in Austin. Kentucky coach Mark Pope said the injuries to both players were “complicated” and “pretty serious.”

Pope added that Butler’s reaggravated shoulder “was not great.”

“We’re still going day-by-day, trying some different treatments,” he said.

As for Robinson, Pope said the school got a third opinion on his injured wrist earlier this week and “he’s meeting with the best people in the world.”

“They’re both pretty complicated situations, timing-wise and recovery-wise,” Pope said. “There is also a little bit of a guessing part in terms of the best medical treatment at the best time. They’re both pretty serious injuries. The guys are desperate to play and desperate to get healthy, both short-term and long-term.”

In the present tense, Pope and the Wildcats will rely on the “next-man-up mentality.” Freshmen Trent Noah and Travis Perry combined for 19 points in the win over the Volunteers, and the third newcomer, Collin Chandler, also provided some valuable minutes off the bench.

“Those three guys, it’s just time for them to step up and be great,” Pope said. “We’re relying heavily on them and that’s what they want, and that’s what we want, and it’s awesome. I have a lot of confidence in those guys and it’s just time for us to be better. I thought they all three were spectacular on Tuesday and we expect them to be great this weekend also.”

Texas (15-10, 4-8) has a freshman of its own who has been making waves in his first season at the collegiate level. Tre Johnson, a former Kentucky recruit, is leading the SEC in scoring and top freshman scorer in the nation with 19.3 points per game. He has scored 20 or more nine times this season.

“He’s a problem because he makes hard shots,” Pope said of Johnson. “He makes bad shots. Normally, you go in a game like, OK, we’re gonna force guys to take these shots and we’re going to live with it. It’s hard to live with any shots with him because he just makes every single one. He’s an incredibly talented player.  I’ve really enjoyed watching him on film the last couple days.

“He plays hard, he gives great effort. He makes plays for teammates, he’s incredibly creative and skilled. He’s aggressive, he’s fully engaged in-game. He’s a terrific talent, a real challenge.”

The Longhorns are desperate for wins after losing their last three games, including a 103-80 loss to No. 2 Alabama earlier this week. Texas has lost four of its past five games, but it defeated ranked SEC foes Missouri and Texas A&M in its first tour of duty in the conference.

“In this league, every night, you’re playing a quality opponent,” Terry said. “That’s the No. 2 team in the country right now, and we’re going to get a team (Kentucky) on Saturday that’s always been in the top 10 at some point during this season as well.”

“In this league, there’s no nights off in terms of the quality of teams that you’re playing. You’re playing an NCAA Tournament team every night that we play. You just keep your head down, you keep staying the course, you keep working, and you’ve got to make it happen.”

Gametracker: Kentucky at Texas, Saturday, 8 p.m. TV/Radio: ESPN, UK Radio Network.