Kentucky has a flicker of hope to revive its season. Mark Pope’s side has won three straight games in the SEC and is now 3-2 in conference play. Last week, they earned hard-fought road wins at LSU and Tennessee, coming back from a 17-point deficit in both games. They finally crept back into the AP Poll and received the 29th most votes. While the team improves, one of its important pieces continues to struggle through an injury. 

Jayden Quaintance hasn’t been able to get back at 100%. The big man arrived in Kentucky with plenty of optimism despite his ACL tear. Pope refused to redshirt him while citing his miraculous progress. He returned on the court against St. John’s and was ramping back up. However, a swelling in his right knee has caused him to miss the last three games. Unfortunately, Pope revealed he will also miss the game against Texas as well, but was optimistic regarding his potential return. 

“He will not play tomorrow night, but he’s making progress,” Pope said at his Tuesday press conference. “We’re super optimistic (about Quaintance playing again this season), and he’s kind of going through the process, and hopefully he’ll be back soon. I know that’s not very descriptive, but I’m trying to be protective of him also.”

It’s a sticky citation. Quaintance is one of the biggest talents Kentucky has. His defensive and rebounding abilities make him an asset. Despite his talent, many of the fans are calling for Pope to shut Quaintance down after being frustrated with repeated absences. 

Kentucky Crowd Calls for Jayden Quaintance Shutdown

“Weak. Just play or shut down. Just like Lowe in and out isn’t good for him or the team,” wrote a fan. Quaintance’s return has been teased multiple times by Pope. He praised his extraordinary ability to recover quickly and hyped what his arrival to the team might mean. In comparison, his actual impact has been underwhelming. 

In 4 games, he has averaged 5 points and 5 rebounds before swelling his injured knee. Jaland Lowe was going through something similar with his shoulder and eventually chose surgery. This repeated rehashing of players can disrupt their chemistry and the mood around the team. Now that Kentucky finally has some momentum, the fans prefer not disturbing it. 

“Probably needs to shut it down. We have a flow going with these guys now. I’d like to see him play, but why risk it?” commented a fan. In the last few games, we have seen a different Kentucky side. They did not buckle under pressure after going down at the half against a ranked Tennessee and rallied back to win the game. Pope has exclaimed that he finally saw some ‘heart’ from his side. Putting an unfit or undercooked Quaintance back in the mix could disrupt the team and risk his future. While some were ruing his prolonged absence, others criticized the fact that Kentucky recruited him in the first place. 

Jayden Quaintance was always going to join late, coming off an ACL tear. ACL injuries are brutal for hoopers, long rehab, slow trust-building, and zero shortcuts. In that sense, it was definitely risky to bring Quaintance in. However, it was a calculated one from the Kentucky management. 

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His upside is higher than the risk. Multiple players missed a season with injury and returned to their best, like Joel Embiid and Blake Griffin. Boogie Fland is coming off a thumb surgery and has still played all 18 games, averaging nearly at his last season’s level. Yes, an ACL tear is different. Modern sports medicine can work miracles, but every comeback is still a gamble. While some don’t want to tamper with the team combination, others have lost faith altogether. 

“I’m just counting on him not playing the rest of the season. If he does, great. If not, fine. The ceiling is limited for this team regardless of JQ’s availability,” a fan plainly stated. Indeed, they haven’t looked all that good, even in their wins. They have scraped through because of sheer will and effort rather than quality. A 12-6 record is not what you expect after investing $22 million. So, while Pope and Co. insist this team can do something special, it’s understandable why some fans might be pessimistic. 

“I’ve heard JQ does not want to play any longer this season. Wants to protect from injury and NBA draft status. Sign of the times,” theorized a fan. Jayden Quaintance was projected to go at No.8 in the latest ESPN mock draft. However, there is little reporting on whether the NBA is affecting his return. On the flip side, it’s hard to imagine it would not be. His entire future depends on how this injury recovers and the NBA is a higher stage than college basketball. In any case, this remains a rumor rather than a confirmed fact.