For the second time this season, Kentucky and Tennessee are set to clash — and once again, the Wildcats will be shorthanded. When No. 25 Tennessee visits Rupp Arena on Saturday night, Kentucky is expected to have only nine scholarship players available, according to the program’s latest availability report released Friday. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET, with ESPN carrying the broadcast.
Kentucky (16–7 overall, 7–3 SEC) pulled off an 80–78 comeback win over the Volunteers in Knoxville on Jan. 17, but the rematch arrives with familiar injury concerns for Mark Pope’s squad.
Three Wildcats Ruled Out
Kentucky has officially ruled out Jaland Lowe, Jayden Quaintance, and Kam Williams, marking the fifth straight game all three have missed.
Lowe, a junior guard, is out for the remainder of the season following surgery to repair recurring right shoulder injuries. While sidelined, he recently rejoined the team on the bench during Kentucky’s win over Oklahoma, wearing a heavy brace on his shoulder.
Williams, a sophomore wing, continues to recover from a broken left foot suffered Jan. 21 against Texas. He has undergone surgery and remains in a protective boot while using a scooter. Pope described Williams’ chances of returning this season as an “outside, outside, outside chance.”
Quaintance is set to miss his ninth consecutive game. The 18-year-old forward has not played since Jan. 7 and remains on full shutdown due to swelling in his surgically repaired knee. The 6-foot-10 Arizona State transfer appeared in just four games this season while continuing rehab from an ACL tear suffered last year.
Despite uncertainty surrounding a return, Quaintance is widely projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and is expected to depart the program after this season — potentially becoming the first first-round NBA selection coached by Pope.
Roster Math Tightens
With Quaintance sidelined and Kentucky preserving redshirt seasons for Braydon Hawthorne and Reece Potter, the Wildcats will again rely on a shortened rotation against a physical Tennessee team.
Tennessee Injury Watch
The Volunteers enter the matchup with injury questions of their own.
Cade Phillips, a junior forward, remains out for the season with a shoulder injury.
Felix Okpara, Amaree Abram, and Troy Henderson are all listed as questionable, meaning each carries roughly a 50% chance of playing under SEC guidelines.
Okpara stands out as the most impactful uncertainty. The senior forward has started 20 games this season but has missed Tennessee’s last two contests with a calf injury. He’s averaging 6.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game and logged 27 minutes in the first meeting against Kentucky.
Abram has been dealing with flu-like symptoms, while Henderson has played a limited role off the bench throughout the season.
An updated injury report is expected a few hours before tipoff.
What’s at Stake
With both teams battling thin rotations and SEC positioning on the line, Saturday night’s showdown sets up as another gritty conference test — and Kentucky will once again need maximum effort from a limited group to protect Rupp Arena.
