We now know Jayden Quaintance's status for Kentucky's game against St. John's

Kentucky is expected to get a massive piece of their roster on the court Saturday that has surely been missed so far this season. According to KSR's Matt Jones, Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance is expected to make his Kentucky debut against Rick Pitino and St. John's on Saturday in Atlanta, barring any pregame setbacks.

This is huge news, as Pope said earlier this week we were "days and hours" away from seeing the 6-10 big man on the court in blue and white for the first time. This has been a longtime coming for Kentucky fans, as Quaintance was originally committed to Kentucky for the 2024 recruiting class under John Calipari, before decommitting following his departure and heading to Arizona State. Now, he's back in Lexington and finally making the long-anticipated debut that fans have been waiting for. Quaintance isn't just another top prospect, he's one of the top draft picks scouts are eying for the 2026 NBA Draft, with many mocks having him well within the lottery.

Last year at Arizona State, prior to his ACL injury, where he then had surgery in mid-March, Quaintance had a number of good games and flashy moments, but his defensive impact is what NBA scouts love most about him, and it's all due to his explosiveness. Last season, Quaintance averaged 2.3 blocks per game. He also earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team as well as being named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Quaintance even had the 19th-best block percentage in all of college basketball last season. Now, he'll get a chance to showcase why he's so highly-touted among NBA folks beginning on Saturday, although it will still be in limited minutes.

Here is what Pope had to say on Thursday about what he brings to the game: "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'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. I think he's a high IQ player that's going to really pick up the feel of how we play quickly."

Now, he'll get to show off his skills in Atlanta in one of the biggest stages in regular season events in college basketball, the CBS Sports Classic. But, this time with the added Pope vs. Pitino flare, Quaintance surely will have plenty more eyes on him. Kentucky fans are hoping he shows some things on the court in his limited run on Saturday.