Kentucky will be without a key player against Mississippi State

Kentucky fans got some unfortunate news on Friday night. Just after returning for the Wildcats against St. John's on Dec. 20 and playing the last four games following his return from injury, Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance will not play against Mississippi State on Saturday, as he is listed as "OUT" on the availability report for the game.

Quaintance is experiencing swelling in his knee and will be held out until he is fully-healthy, according to KSR's Jack Pilgrim. This is a big loss for Kentucky, as Malachi Moreno and Brandon Garrison will need to step up, which has been questionable lately. Quaintance's energy is unmatched, and that will be clear when the game starts. For the most part, Mo Dioubate is going to be leaned on a lot with his toughness and energy. Kentucky hasn't lacked much in the frontcourt lately because of those two. Now, the frontcourt will be missing a key piece. Pope raved about Quaintance's play on Wednesday:

"He hasn't played basketball in 10 months, and he's coming back from a massive injury, and the fact that he's on the floor for 17 minutes and playing with that kind of physicality is tremendous," Pope said of Quaintance. "So he's gonna get better every single day, like, he's a superstar in the making. It's just, you know, it's hard, like, this is a hard process for him. There's no doubt about it. I was proud of him for stepping on the starting lineup and coming out, being competitive and physical, and he's gonna get better and better."

It's pretty brutal news as Kentucky has welcomed his energy with open arms. As much as this team gets a lot of hate for their lack of energy, movement, execution, and a lot of other things, one thing hasn't lacked and that's Quaintance's energy. That was evident in his debut against St. John's where he had 10 points and 8 rebounds in 17 minutes on the floor. Now, with the Wildcats playing a very physical team in Mississippi State, that absence will be felt.

Can Kentucky's frontcourt hold things down with Quaintance out? The Wildcats already have execution problems, and now, a big part of their rebounding and defensive intensity will be missing on Saturday.