When Jaland Lowe finally returned from a shoulder injury last month, Kentucky was already playing from behind. Against Gonzaga, the Wildcats had fallen into an early hole before Lowe even checked in. The same pattern repeated Saturday at Alabama: UK stumbled out of the gate, and Lowe entered with the Wildcats already trailing.
Neither game would have flipped dramatically if Lowe had started. Kentucky was blown out by Gonzaga and lost by 15 to Alabama in its SEC opener. But as the season moves forward, those sluggish starts are fueling a growing debate — one Mark Pope admits isn’t going away.
Should Kentucky’s best point guard be in the starting lineup?
Pope has acknowledged the discussion publicly, and he hasn’t pushed back against the logic. In fact, he’s openly agreed with it.
“Jaland Lowe is a huge piece for us,” Pope said before the Alabama game. “We’re simply better when he’s on the floor.”
That was the expectation all along. Before preseason even wrapped up, Lowe had already been labeled Kentucky’s clear-cut PG1. Then injuries changed everything. A shoulder issue suffered in the Blue-White scrimmage wiped out the rest of his preseason and the season opener. After briefly returning, he reinjured the same shoulder following the loss at Louisville and missed nearly another month.
Without him, Kentucky’s offense often stalled against quality opponents. Ball movement slowed. Possessions dragged. The Wildcats struggled to generate clean looks in the halfcourt.
Even during the Gonzaga blowout, the offense looked noticeably more fluid once Lowe entered — but by then, the damage was done. Coming off a cold-shooting loss to North Carolina days earlier, Kentucky never found rhythm.
When Lowe finally had a clean runway, the impact was immediate. He scored 13 points in a win over Indiana, delivering several key plays down the stretch. Against St. John’s, after lasting only seven seconds in the first half due to another injury scare, Lowe logged most of the second half and helped produce what many consider Kentucky’s best 20 minutes of basketball this season.
Saturday in Tuscaloosa was more evidence. Lowe poured in a season-high 21 points off the bench, attacked the rim consistently, and created opportunities for teammates. Two late driving layups briefly cut Alabama’s lead to single digits, offering a final flicker of hope before the Wildcats fell 89–74.
The question lingered afterward: why wasn’t he on the floor sooner?
Alabama guard Aden Holloway, who scored 26 points, didn’t hide his respect for Lowe’s game.
“He’s tough to stay in front of,” Holloway said. “Quick, explosive, great pace. He’s not just hunting shots — he creates for others.”
On Kentucky’s roster, Lowe is uniquely equipped to do those things. No one else consistently breaks down defenses off the dribble. No one else pushes tempo the same way.
And the minutes argument is weakening. Lowe played 27 minutes against Alabama and sat for barely more than a minute after halftime before the game was essentially decided. Pope has also made it clear that Lowe is not on a formal minutes restriction.
So why isn’t he starting?
Pope’s explanation centers on practice continuity. Because Lowe’s shoulder still limits contact in practice, he hasn’t always been able to participate fully. Meanwhile, Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, and Collin Chandler have logged most of the live reps together.
Pope has rewarded that continuity with starts.
“The idea is to protect the group that’s getting most of the practice reps,” Pope said earlier this week. “But that might not be the right answer. We’re evaluating it constantly.
If a change comes, Collin Chandler appears most vulnerable. After a strong early stretch, the sophomore guard has struggled. He scored zero points against St. John’s and just three at Alabama. Over his past four games, Chandler has totaled 11 points on 3-for-17 shooting.
Lowe alone won’t fix everything. Kentucky still managed only nine assists against Alabama. Chemistry takes time. But it’s easier to build when the team’s best point guard is on the floor from the opening tip.
As Kentucky prepares for its SEC home opener against Missouri, Pope’s balancing act continues — protecting Lowe’s health while maximizing his impact.
And judging by how openly the coach is questioning his own approach, this lineup decision may not stay unresolved much longer.
