As Kentucky basketball prepares for its second exhibition game of the preseason against Texas Tech on Friday night at Rupp Arena, the Wildcats are still not at full strength. Head coach Mark Pope and his staff are dealing with a familiar issue from his first year in Lexington – injuries.
On Thursday, ahead of the Texas Tech matchup, a UK spokesperson provided official injury updates on three Wildcats who have been sidelined: Kam Williams, Trent Noah, and Jerone Morton. The news is cautiously optimistic, but all three will miss the remainder of the exhibition schedule.
Here is the full breakdown of where each player stands.
Kam Williams – Week-to-Week, Progressing Nicely
The biggest name of the three is Kam Williams, the 6-foot-8 transfer who was expected to play a major role on the wing for Kentucky this season.
Williams’ injury story goes back to last season. He first suffered a broken foot – a Jones fracture – in January/February while still at his previous school. He made a surprisingly quick return for the postseason in March, playing through the injury in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, but his recovery stalled over the summer.
That led to a second, follow-up procedure this offseason to fully repair the foot. As a result, Williams missed the entire summer workout period and the start of fall practice.
The good news? The ramp-up has officially begun.
“Kam Williams is week-to-week. He’s progressing nicely. He has started his progression back to practice,” the UK spokesman said to open Pope’s pre-Texas Tech press conference.
According to reports from A Sea of Blue and On3, Williams has recently gotten some live run in practice, which is a major step forward. He is not yet cleared for full contact or game action, but he is no longer in a boot and is moving toward a return.
For Pope, getting Williams back is crucial. After losing Jaxson Robinson and Kerr Kriisa late last season to injuries, Pope knows how important depth on the wing is. Williams is a versatile defender and an improving three-point shooter who was brought in to replace some of that production.
He will miss Friday’s game against Texas Tech and next week’s finale against UCF, but the staff is hopeful he can be available at some point in early November. The regular-season opener is November 3rd vs Manhattan, and then the massive Champions Classic showdown with Kansas is on November 10th.
Trent Noah – Hamstring Issue Lingers, No Hard Timeline
Perhaps the most frustrating injury of the three is junior forward Trent Noah.
The Harlan County native has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has plagued him since the summer. He returned briefly earlier this week, according to practice observers, but suffered another setback and was sidelined again in recent days.
“Trent Noah has a hamstring injury. He’s week-to-week with no hard timeline on his return,” UK announced.
After Friday’s exhibition win over Little Rock last week, Pope admitted Noah is having a tough time.
“With Trent, he’s kind of struggling a little bit right now to regain his health,” Pope said. “It makes it even more important that we get Kam back on time. So we’re hopeful. We’re hopeful.”
Noah’s situation is concerning because hamstring injuries tend to linger, especially when re-aggravated multiple times. This is the third separate hamstring issue for Noah since the summer session ended.
When healthy, Noah is expected to take a big leap in his third season. Staff and practice insiders have raved about a more confident, quicker, and slightly more athletic version of Noah, not just relying on his elite three-point shooting but impacting the game in other ways.
For now, however, Kentucky will be cautious. There is no reason to rush a soft-tissue injury in October.
Jerone Morton – Knee Injury, Good News But Still Away
Freshman guard Jerone Morton is the third Wildcat sidelined.
Morton suffered a knee injury toward the very start of fall practice – described as an individual roll-up during a drill. He was immediately re-evaluated and has been out ever since
The update on Morton is positive in terms of long-term outlook:
“Jerone Morton is continuing to work through his knee injury. He’s been reevaluated by doctors. We continue to get good news about Jerone, but he’s still a little bit away from returning.”
Unlike an ACL tear, which was initially feared, Morton’s injury is considered a shorter-term knee issue that will not keep him out for the entire year. The medical staff has been encouraged by his recent scans, but he still needs time to regain strength and confidence in the knee before returning to live action.
Morton was a highly-touted recruit known for his toughness and defense, and Pope was planning to use him as a defensive stopper off the bench.
What This Means for Kentucky
With all three players out, Kentucky will be shorthanded for the Texas Tech and UCF exhibitions. Expect to see more minutes for Otega Oweh, Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson, and transfer additions.
The Wildcats cannot afford another injury-plagued season. Last year, injuries to Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, and Kerr Kriisa derailed what was a top-10 team in January. This year, with Jaland Lowe already dealing with minor issues and Jayden Quaintance still working back from a torn ACL, depth is already being tested.
The official word is “week-to-week” for all three. The optimistic view is that Williams could be back for the opener on November 3rd, with Noah and Morton targeting the second week of November. The pessimistic view is that none are 100% for Kansas on November 10th.
