Andrew Carr's injury could be a bigger issue than many thought

Mark Pope shared a concerning update on Carr after Vanderbilt loss.

Dec 31, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrew Carr (7) fives a teammate during the second half against the Brown Bears at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

After an upset loss to Vanderbilt on Saturday, Mark Pope shared an update on Andrew Carr's back injury. Carr has been playing through the injury for the last three games, while not practicing during the week, but it seems like there is a growing concern with his injury. After playing three-straight games through his back injury, Carr was held out of the game at Vanderbilt, giving him some more time to heal.

Mark Pope shared a concerning deep dive update into Carr's progress with getting his back healthy. Playing through the pain, it seemed like Carr wasn't able to do some of the things you need to do as a basketball player, like slower movements. But still, he was fighting through it. Thinking it would get better over the last few weeks, Pope says after every game, it feels like the injury is back to square one in terms of progress. Pope wants to see some progress before playing Carr again, so the big man could be out for a few weeks if he can't get better.

"We’re just kind of seeing a decline in his performance because there's so much he can't do with his back. We were trending in the wrong direction. What we're hoping is that we can get to space in the next few weeks or next few days where we have enough confidence ... we can get him to a sustainable place where we can endure a practice or endure a game and not go back to square zero. ...We'll see if that actually happens. It's complicated. You're dealing with percentages. You're not dealing in guarantees."

Pope on Carr's injury status.

Kentucky is going to hold out Carr until he can get better and endure the physicality of a game or even practice. It certainly sounds like it could be a few weeks before Carr returns to the floor, at least game-action. The Wildcats have a big one on Tuesday at #6 Tennessee, where they'll likely be without Carr again.