Kentucky star Jaland Lowe was integral in the Wildcats’ 72-60 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday to improve to 7-4 for the season. Lowe tallied 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 24 minutes of action.
Lowe has only played five games this season due to a shoulder injury sustained during the Blue and White game that has severely limited his game time.
Jaland Lowe Details the Turmoil He Has Faced
During Sunday’s segment of “The Field of 68” show, Lowe, who wore a shoulder brace against Indiana, detailed the difficulty that he has been going through this season with his shoulder injury.
“I’m going through one of the hardest times of my life right now,” Lowe said. “I’m at my dream school right now, I just wanna play with these guys. We haven’t been doing the best, so I just wanna be out there with these guys. As a competitor, it’s tough not having something that’s in your control.
“It’s pretty hard, especially going out there and not knowing what’s gonna happen. I have a great group of people around me that keep me positive. I come out here every day with a smile on my face. I keep going for these guys. I see how much these guys pour into me and I just wanna pour it back.”
Lowe has averaged 5.8 points on 27.3% shooting from the field and 16.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 1.8 rebounds, and three assists for the Wildcats this season.
Kentucky Players Celebrate Lowe’s Impact
During his postgame news conference, Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate lavished praise on Lowe’s impact on the game against Indiana.
“He was really aggressive today,” Dioubate said. “He got downhill. He made a lot of reads. He had an offense going. We needed a guy like that all season long. He hasn’t been with us for (a) majority (of the) season.”
During Lowe’s 24 minutes on the court, the Wildcats outscored the Hoosiers by 24 points, and he finished off the game by scoring his team’s final three buckets of the contest to lead Kentucky to an impressive win.
During his postgame news conference, embattled Kentucky coach Mark Pope revealed how Lowe’s teammates encouraged him to shoot more during a huddle after he had missed an uncontested layup.
“He (Lowe) was sitting to my left and his four teammates sitting in the chairs turned to him and said, ‘Shoot it man, let’s go, let’s go,'” Pope said. “And then of course, you know, the first shot he makes after missing all of the shots is the step-back 15-footer.”
The return of Dioubate and Lowe will give Kentucky a huge boost as they seek a win against the No. 22 St. John’s Red Storm at Rupp Arena on Saturday, before tipping off SEC play with a trip to Tuscaloosa to face the No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide on Jan. 3.
