The start to this Kentucky men’s basketball season hasn’t gone as expected, with an 0-4 record against Top 25 teams and no national ranking next to the Wildcats’ name the week before Christmas.
Amid the losses, a likely NBA lottery pick has been watching from the sidelines, a major topic of interest for a UK fan base looking for a spark.
Might Jayden Quaintance’s time come this weekend?
In his weekly press conference Thursday, head coach Mark Pope left the door open for Quaintance to make his debut for the Cats on Saturday against No. 22 St. John’s.
“Yeah, we’ll see,” Pope said. “He’s been out of basketball for nine months, and crossed half court for the first time in a drill two days ago. So, we’ll see. He’s done an unbelievable job on his rehab, and he’s kept up with everything, in terms of having an off-the-court concept of what we’re trying to do. And so every day is probably going to paint a clearer picture for us.”
Quaintance, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, suffered a torn ACL as a freshman at Arizona State last season. The nine-month anniversary of his surgery date for that injury is Friday, and he’s been slowly working his way into UK’s practice sessions over the past few weeks.
“He had a good practice on Tuesday,” Pope said. “First time ever he crossed half court in some drill work. So that was good. We’ll see how he is today, and he’s making incredible progress. That’s kind of a day-by-day thing. And once he’s confident and healthy and cleared, we’ll roll.”
Saturday seems ambitious for a player who has had little full-court practice yet as a Wildcat, but Quaintance is a rare talent and someone with an ability to impact games in a variety of ways through sheer athleticism and strength.
Pope has been careful not to set firm expectations for when the 18-year-old does play for the Wildcats for the first time. But he said Thursday that there are some aspects of his game that should show up immediately, even if he’s rusty during his UK basketball debut.
“Clearly, he’s proven to have an incredible impact on the defensive end of the floor, in terms of his mobility, his physicality, his rim protection,” he said. “He’s got the capability to be an elite-level transition offensive player. He takes up space offensively. I think he’s a guy that we could live with in isolation a little bit, where he’d go to work. I think he’s a high-IQ player that’s going to really pick up the feel of how we play quickly.
“I think he’s a terrific talent and great kid, and I expect good things for him.”
Quaintance played his entire freshman season at Arizona State at just 17 years old, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game. His block percentage ranked fifth nationally among high-major players. Freshman center Malachi Moreno is leading the Wildcats in blocked shots with 1.4 per game this season. No other Cat has more than six blocks in 11 games.
A 6-10, 255-pound forward, Quaintance would provide a major physical presence against a St. John’s team — coached by Rick Pitino — that plays a physical brand of basketball. The Cats will play the Red Storm at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Atlanta.
Kentucky’s next game will be in Rupp Arena on Tuesday afternoon against Bellarmine, a matchup that would provide a softer landing spot for Quaintance’s return. After that, the Wildcats will get a week and a half off before their SEC opener at Alabama on Jan. 3.
“It’s hard as a coach, because the only thing that matters is this game,” Pope said Thursday. “It’s the only thing that ever matters is this game. For someone that’s had this incredible comeback from a really massive injury — that’s got a massive future in this game — like, when I’m thinking about JQ, I can’t just think about this game, as much as I would like to.
“You know, his future is really important.”
Pope said UK’s staff was monitoring Quaintance “every second of every day” for what he’s doing and how he’s feeling on and off the court. They’re looking through his physical data and having conversations with the teenager about his readiness to get into games.
“So, honestly, my evaluation of how and when and where to slide him back into this rotation has nothing to do with this St. John’s game and everything to do with him and where he is,” Pope said. “And that’s the way it should be. That’s why we should treat all our players.”
Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance averaged 2.6 blocked shots per game as a freshman at Arizona State last season. Ryan C. Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 12:11 PM.
Ben Roberts
Lexington Herald-Leader
Ben Roberts is the University of Kentucky men’s basketball beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He has previously specialized in UK basketball recruiting coverage and created and maintained the Next Cats blog. He is a Franklin County native and first joined the Herald-Leader in 2006.
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