Jaland Lowe doesn't take return to basketball for granted -- even in demoralizing defeat

There are essentially zero positive takeaways from Kentucky‘s performance in Nashville, losing by 35 to prove once again these Wildcats are incapable of beating teams that actually matter — at least five weeks into the season, anyway. Can I humor you in one single development we could call favorable, though, especially when it comes to the big picture? I know it’s hard to be happy about much of anything with four straight power-conference losses, but how about Jaland Lowe not only playing in just his third game of the season, but getting through without any setbacks?

The Pittsburgh transfer had some serious rust, scoring just one point on 0-5 shooting and 1-2 at the line with just one rebound and one assist to go with one turnover in 14 minutes, but we all know the reality with this team. If there is any chance for Kentucky to figure itself out, Lowe has to be the Preseason All-SEC talent he was hyped up to be going into the year as a co-star alongside Otega Oweh.

Availability is the first step in finding his footing and building chemistry with his teammates — of which there is none right now across the board, top to bottom of this roster. He was just glad to be healthy enough to get back out there and start the process, even in a 94-59 loss.

“I mean, it felt good to be out there,” Lowe said after the game. “You know, just — I don’t take for granted the game of basketball anymore. Any chance I can go out there and play the sport I love, I’m gonna go do it, no matter win or loss.”

Lowe was mostly ineffective as both a facilitator and scorer, but it was always going to be a process with the 6-1 point guard after missing so much time. He missed the entire preseason after dislocating his shoulder in the Blue-White Game, keeping him out until the Valparaiso game on November 7. Then he reinjured it in practice immediately after the Louisville loss, forcing him to miss another five games before returning against Gonzaga.

But you have to start somewhere, right? That’s why he had something to smile about at the podium, even immediately after a demoralizing loss with the Wildcats “paralyzed” offensively, as Pope put it.

You earn the right to look at the bright side of things when the game is taken away from you over and over the way it has for Lowe this season.

“So, I mean, I still have a great time, of course. I hate losing, so that always hurts as far as basketball goes, but I just want to play.”

Pope was glad to have him back, too, and more importantly, to live to fight another day.

“I was glad that he got on the floor,” he said during his postgame radio show. “Gives a little bit of pace, got on and off the floor injury-free. Clearly, he’s got a lot of rust, which is totally understandable. We really haven’t had him, so he’ll be a work in progress, but he’s got a tremendous amount of capacity. We’re excited about the lift he can give us.”

Kentucky needs Jaland Lowe to be Jaland Lowe to salvage this, and earning 14 minutes against Gonzaga with no setbacks is the only way to get there, no matter how it looked.