In what was shaping up to be a crucial SEC matchup against Mississippi State, all eyes were on Andrew Carr. The 6’11 forward had been listed as questionable due to a back injury before the game against the 12-3 Wildcats. But when game time arrived, the outcome proved to be a pleasant surprise.

“It just shows, again, we’re not a soft team,” said Amari Williams in a recent interview with Kentucky Sports Radio. It was after Wildcats, in a hard-fought battle, grabbed a 95-90 victory. Though, Kentucky wasn’t the center of attention. Instead, it was Andrew Carr who stepped up despite being injured.

“The fact that he’s got back problems, which is serious, and he was still able to go out there and compete… it just shows what kind of character he is.” And, he’s right. Logging 21 minutes on the court, Carr was a game-changer for the Wildcats. He finished with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, and made crucial plays when Kentucky needed him the most.

Coach Mark Pope reveals that the forward wasn’t even able to sit during the timeouts due to the intensity of the injury. But dividing his time 10 minutes in the first half and 11 in the second, he was able to be the third-leading scorer for the team, that evening.

But Carr’s impact went beyond what showed up on the stat sheet. His presence was felt on both ends of the floor, helping Kentucky control the boards and force Mississippi State into foul trouble at key moments. It was a needed win for the Wildcats, just coming off a stinging loss to no. 9 Georgia.

In their SEC road opener, Kentucky fumbled the bag to trail by 13 points at half time. They could only manage to get as close as 5 points in the second half but never regained the league after a 25-25 tie early in the game. They were outrebounded (41-34) for the fourth straight game and their next opponents, Mississippi, only seemed to be waiting to act on the opportunity, themselves ranking just outside top 30.

The Wildcats had dropped to 1-1 in the SEC and with all the ranked teams fighting it out, it wasn’t a pretty start. The program’s second leading man in rebounds after Amari Williams, Carr, knew of it and wasn’t ready to witness another fall.

Andrew Carr forced his way into the lineup

Despite having been facing the adversity for a few days, Andrew Carr wasn’t interested in letting his team sail through alone. “I don’t want to be out there if I’m not helping the team, but I want to help the team so bad,” Carr shared, revealing the internal struggle he faced leading up to the game.

The star forward had missed practice earlier in the week and seemed unlikely to take the court. But he showed up after the pregame warmups and coach Mark Pope is all praise. “He’s a tough kid. He’s a warrior. He loves our team.” This win was huge for Kentucky, especially in the context of the SEC standings. With their 13-3 overall record, the Wildcats now stand at 2-1 in SEC play.

Carr’s injury, however, is still somewhat of a mystery. While it’s known that the back issue has been bothering him, details about the extent of the injury remain unclear.However, the battle isn’t over yet. The Wildcats are lined against some of the tougher opponents, including Alabama and Tennessee. Remains to see how Mark Pope & Co. responds.