Injury Report: Kentucky updates status of Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr for Tennessee game

No. 12 Kentucky will be without senior guard Lamont Butler for Tuesday night’s game at No. 8 Tennessee. Butler was listed as out and sophomore forward Andrew Carr was listed as questionable on the SEC injury report on Monday night.

Sophomore JP Estrella (foot) was the only player on the injury report for the Vols.

Butler had six points and six turnovers in 27 minutes in Kentucky’s 74-69 loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday. Carr, the Wake Forest transfer who did not play at Vanderbilt due to a back injury, averages 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 28.1 minutes per game.

Kerr Kriiisa, who has been out since early December due to a foot injury, was listed as out on the injury report. Butler is dealing with a shoulder issue.

Tennessee (17-3, 4-3 SEC) and Kentucky (14-5, 3-3) are set for a 7 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: ESPN) Tuesday at Food City Center. 

No. 8 Tennessee coming off 53-51 loss at No. 1 Auburn on Saturday night

The Vols on Friday night listed Igor Milicic (lower-body injury) as probable and Jordan Gainey (flu-like symptoms) for Saturday night’s game at Auburn. Both players were removed from the report and available on the game day injury report update, before the 53-51 loss at Neville Arena. 

Milicic started and had four points and two rebounds in 27 minutes at Auburn. Gainey played 25 minutes off the bench before fouling out, finishing with eight points and four rebounds.

Carr played 18 minutes in the 102-97 loss to Alabama at Rupp Arena on January 18. Kentucky did not have a midweek game last week.

“I’ve probably done a bad job with (Carr),” first-year Kentucky coach Mark Pope said after the loss at Vandy. “He wants to play so bad and we were just kind of seeing a decline in his performance because there’s just so much he can’t do with his back. We were trending the wrong direction.”

Kentucky has lost last two games, 2-3 over last five

Senior forward Ansley Almonor replaced Carr on Saturday, finishing with 12 points and four rebounds, going 4-for-5 from the 3-point line at Memorial Gymnasium.

“Injuries are hard,” Pope said. “These calls are really hard. What we’re hoping is that we can get to a space sometime in the next few weeks, the next few days, somewhere where we have enough confidence. 

“(Carr) hasn’t practiced in a couple weeks,” Pope added, “and every game it’s kind of like, he just gets beat up so bad it’s back to square one, where it’s hard for him to walk essentially.”

Tennessee’s game against Kentucky is the start of three straight home games, with No. 5 Florida coming to Knoxville Tuesday, ahead of No. 20 Missouri next week.

Kentucky returns home Saturday to face Arkansas and former Kentucky coach John Calipari. 

“We’re hoping that with more time we can get him to some sustainable place where he can endure a practice and endure a game and not be back to zero,” Pope said. “But we’ll see if that actually happens.

“It’s complicated. You’re dealing in percentages. You’re not dealing in guarantees. We just thought we’d take a swing at this and we’ll kind of gauge him (Sunday) and gauge him Monday.”