Mark Pope's update on Jayden Quaintance means a return is right around the corner

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will add a massive piece to the lineup soon.

Kentucky Wildcats forward Jayden Quaintance spins a basketball while being introduced at the 2025 Big Blue Madness at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. | Matt Stone/The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kentucky got a win over the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds on Thursday night in Rupp Arena in a ball game where the Wildcats were dominant in every aspect of the game.

Malachi Moreno got the start over Brandon Garrison in this game, so the frontcourt was on the mind of Big Blue Nation, and Coach Pope gave an important update on Jayden Quaintance after the game.

Here was the update Pope gave on Quaintance after the win over Loyola Maryland, “So he was actually in 2v2, live drills, first scout team yesterday, for the first time ever. And I almost had a heart attack because I thought he just snuck into the drill. But it was like, Nope, he's good. He's clear. So he's making terrific, terrific progress.”

Kentucky's head coach Mark Pope coaches against Eastern Illinois at Rupp Arena. November 14, 2025 | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Some of the folks who have been talking badly about this Kentucky team are forgetting that Mark Pope's most talented player has not stepped on the floor yet. Quaintance is a player that many anticipate being a top ten pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, as he is one of the best defenders in college basketball.

As a 17-year-old at Arizona State, Quaintance averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game. He is a player that has a real shot to average a double-double while leading college hoops in blocks per game once he is back on the floor.

The timeline that many folks have had in their head for Quaintance has always been right around the middle of December and knowing that he is now back doing some contact work, it sounds like this date could be accurate.

ASU head coach Bobby Hurley high-fives center Jayden Quaintance (21) as he comes to the bench during a game at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Jan. 25, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fans would love to see Quaintance back on the floor for a few ball games before the SEC season gets started, which will be right as the new year begins. Quaintance isn't going to win any awards outside of the SEC, more than likely knowing he will miss a good chunk of the season, but fans need to know that one of the best players in college basketball is about to be unleashed.

Kentucky will become one of the hardest teams in college basketball to score on down low once their freak athlete center is back on the floor. If the recovery over the next few weeks continues to go well for the Arizona State transfer, he has a shot to play when the Wildcats take on St. John's. JQ is almost back for the Kentucky Wildcats.