Mark Pope has had to deal with an injury crisis amidst all the challenges. Jaland Lowe and Mohammed Dioubate each spent some time out. Even though their most promising player, Jayden Quaintance, hasn’t played, he’s still recovering from an ACL tear that occurred last season. The expected number 10 pick in the 2026 draft is about to come back, perhaps as soon as Saturday against Rick Pitino’s St. John’s. 

“He (Quaintance) had a good practice on Tuesday. For the first time ever, he crossed half-court and did some drill work. So, that was good. We’ll see how he is today, and he’s making incredible progress. And it’s kind of a day-by-day thing. Once he’s confident and healthy and cleared, we’ll roll,” Pope explained. 

An ACL tear is a sensitive injury to come back from. After ACL reconstruction, return to full competitive play typically takes about 9–12 months. So, Quaintance is already returning at the earlier end of that spectrum. Pope has maintained that he was recovering ‘faster than expected,’ but the program should proceed with caution regardless. 

Research shows that returning before the injury is completely healed and ready for the intensity of competitive basketball can significantly increase the risk of both graft re-tears and ACL injuries in the opposite knee. It’s more important to note that for an explosive athlete like Quaintance, who plays above the rim. The psychological aspect is just as important. Quaintance must fully trust his knee while making split-second decisions on the court and occasionally driving through traffic. The media pressed Pope on whether Quaintance could make his debut against St.John’s.

“Leaving the door open for him on Saturday?” Asked a reporter. To which Pope replied, “Yeah, we’ll see. I mean, as I said, you think about it, I mean, just you think about it, it’s like he’s been out of basketball for nine months and crossed half court for the first time in a drill two days ago. So, we’ll see.”

Going up against Rick Pitino’s St.John’s, it’s going to be a very physical, hard-fought game. That is not the best atmosphere to have someone coming off ACL surgery make their return in. Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader thinks the Bellarmine game could be the target game based on what he’s heard. 

“One potential timeline that was floated to the Herald-Leader over the weekend featured the possibility of Quaintance making his UK debut against Bellarmine on Dec. 23 in Rupp Arena, the final nonconference game on the Wildcats’ schedule,” He wrote. Jayden Quaintance’s return is like a beacon of hope for Kentucky fans amid their poor start to the season. However, Pope maintained that it will take time for the talented forward to return to his true self.

Jayden Quaintance To Be On Minutes Restriction On His Return

There is no doubt Jayden Quaintance will massively improve this Kentucky side. Quaintance is a defensive force. As a freshman at Arizona State last year at 17 years old, he was one of the best defenders in the country despite lacking experience and the college basketball sharpening. His block rate ranked fifth nationally among players from high-major programs. 

Per BarTorvik, Kentucky is the 22nd best defense with an adjusted defensive efficiency of 96.9. They have also leaked points against top teams like Gonzaga (94), Michigan State (83), and Louisville (96). At 33.2%, their offensive rebound rate falls behind the top teams, something Quaintance could fix. 

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Overall, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds (3.0 offensive rebounds), and 2.6 blocks in 29.7 minutes per game, and reporters who have observed Jayden Quaintance in the UK’s practices since his return to practice claim “no one on this team can move like him or do the things he’s capable of doing.” However, Pope put his foot down and flatly said that he would not complete the game in his initial return. 

“When he goes, he’s going to be on a restriction for sure, just because it’s the conditioning part. You when you haven’t when you haven’t hit guys and run around and change direction, and respond to unpredictable movements.” Pope said, “Fatigue is your enemy, and it’s not just fatigue with the injury you’re recovering from. It’s fatigue with every part of your body because you just don’t know that some of your instincts are just going to decline.”

Jayden Quaintance’s return will also give this team a psychological boost. The team had their first statement win against Indiana last week and are looking to gain some momentum. It could coincide with a possible win over St.John’s, which can certainly bring back Kentucky into the AP Top 25 conversation.