Kentucky Star Guard Out For Rivalry Matchup Against Tennessee Basketball

Kentucky basketball is down one key player with another questionable for Tuesday night’s top 15 matchup between the Vols and Wildcats in Knoxville.

Senior point guard Lamont Butler is out for the game while senior forward Andrew Carr is questionable according to the SEC availability report. Carr missed the Wildcats’ loss at Vanderbilt on Saturday while Butler scored six points in 27 minutes of action.

Butler is one of Kentucky’s top players as well as its starting point guard. The San Diego State transfer is averaging 13.2 points and 4.8 assists in 26.7 minutes per game. His absence is particularly notable because Kentucky’s other point guard Kerr Kriisa has been sidelined with an injury since early December.

With both players sidelined it is unclear who will play point guard for the Wildcats. Shooting guards Otega Oweh or Jaxson Robinson could handle point guard duties as could freshman point guard Travis Perry.

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Butler’s absence is the biggest news on Kentucky’s injury report but Carr being questionable is also notable. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 10.9 points on 54% shooting from the field and 28% from three-point range while also adding 5.6 rebounds per game.

Tennessee and Kentucky are both desperate for a victory. The Vols lost a heartbreaker at No. 1 Auburn on Saturday while Kentucky enters the game on a two-game losing streak with losses against Vanderbilt and Alabama.

Tennessee is 9.5-point favorites against Kentucky according to the FanDuel Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 148.5. KenPom predicts Tennessee to earn a 77-68 win.

Tipoff between Tennessee and Kentucky is at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. Karl Ravech, Jimmy Dykes and Molly McGrath are on the call for ESPN.