Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance is expected to make his debut for the Wildcats on Saturday against St. John’s in Atlanta, per Jeff Goodman of Field of 68.
The 6’10”, 255-pound Quaintance was a 5-star prospect in the class of 2024. The 247Sports Composite list ranked him ninth overall and second among centers in his class.
He originally committed to Kentucky but withdrew that commitment when head coach John Calipari left for Arkansas. Quaintance then signed with Arizona State and averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Unfortunately, Quaintance suffered a torn ACL in his right knee on Feb. 23 against Kansas State. He underwent successful surgery in early April. Soon afterward, Quaintance entered the transfer portal and committed to UK once again.
Quaintance joins a Kentucky team that’s had a disappointing season thus far. The Wildcats began 2025-26 ranked ninth in the Associated Press poll, but they have fallen out of the Top 25. Kentucky has notably gone 0-4 against ranked teams: Louisville, Michigan State, UNC and Gonzaga.
However, Quaintance’s return is a welcome sight for the Wildcats, who are beginning SEC play on January 3. Obviously, one can guess that Quaintance may be limited at first as he works his way back from an injury that’s kept him out for nearly a year. However, he clearly factors into UK’s future plans, and head coach Mark Pope is excited to have him, per comments to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Kentucky’s tipoff with St. John’s is at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The Wildcats then host Bellarmine on Dec. 23 before beginning the SEC slate on Jan. 3 at Alabama.
