Three burning questions for the remainder of the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball season

It has gone by in a flash, but there are only seven regular-season games left for Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats in the 2025-26 season. It has been a season of ups and downs, but Kentucky is playing its best basketball of the season at the right time with only a few games left.

Let’s take a look at three burning questions for this Kentucky basketball team as we approach the postseason.

Three questions for the rest of the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball season

Will Jayden Quaintance or Kam Williams return to the floor?

Jayden Quaintance and Kam Williams have been off the floor for some time now for the Kentucky Wildcats with different injuries. Williams had surgery to repair a break in his foot, while Quaintance’s knee injury has swelled up from his ACL surgery. While it has been a while since Big Blue Nation has seen these two players on the floor, Coach Pope has not closed the window for them to return later in the year. It would be interesting to see how adding these players back into the flow would go, knowing how well the Wildcats are playing. There is no question that adding these two back into the lineup could have an effect on the way this team is playing, but both Quaintance and Williams are incredible athletes, and Kentucky would love them back on the floor.

Who will step up down the stretch of the season?

Feb 4, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrija Jelavic (4) shoots the ball during the second half against the Oklahoma Sooners at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

With some key pieces out of the lineup, Kentucky is going to need some players to step up for this team to make a run. Collin Chandler has already stepped up, but one more player would really help. Some names that come to mind are Andrija Jelavic and Jasper Johnson. These are the two players that it is clear when watching them that their best basketball is still ahead. Both have an elite offensive upside and if the Wildcats were able to get more production out of them. For a team to make a run, sometimes a player needs to step up late in the year, and one of these two could be the answer.

How deep can this team go in the NCAA Tournament?

Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

For a while, it looked like this team might not even make the big dance, but Pope’s Wildcats have heated up of late and are playing great. Despite this, it still feels like the Sweet 16 is the ceiling of this team, but I’m sure some members of BBN would say they can make it further. A player stepping like Jelavic or Johnson could perhaps make this happen for the Wildcats.