Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance will not play against Mississippi State on Saturday
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky ruled Jayden Quaintance out for Saturday’s game vs. Mississippi State.
- Quaintance returned from a torn ACL suffered as a freshman but shows limited impact.
- Coach Mark Pope predicted steady improvement as Kentucky copes with 9-6 start.
Kentucky sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance has been ruled out for the Wildcats’ game against Mississippi State on Saturday night.
Quaintance was the only player listed on the preliminary availability report that UK sent to the SEC on Friday night, though his inclusion was a surprise.
It comes three weeks after he made his season debut in a victory over St. John’s, the 6-foot-10 teenager’s first game since suffering a torn ACL as a freshman at Arizona State in February.
A UK spokesperson said there was no official statement regarding Quaintance’s status Friday night. Pope will address reporters after the Mississippi State game, which is set for an 8:30 p.m. ET tipoff on SEC Network.
Quaintance, who is projected as a lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, had 10 points and eight rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench in the 78-66 win over St. John’s in Atlanta on Dec. 20. He played sparingly three days later in a victory over Bellarmine, though he logged 24 minutes in the SEC opener against Alabama last weekend and made his first start for the Wildcats against Missouri on Wednesday night.
UK lost both of those games, however, and the Cats are off to a disappointing 9-6 start, including an 0-2 mark in the SEC. Since his electric debut against St. John’s last month, Quaintance is averaging just 3.3 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He’s had just one blocked shot since his debut. He also has six turnovers, with just two assists.
Quaintance was limited in practice up until his UK debut three weeks ago, but the Wildcats got nearly two weeks off before league play began, and Pope said that his 18-year-old phenom had been a regular participant in Kentucky’s practice sessions over the holiday break.
After Quaintance was held to one point — and just one field-goal attempt — in 18 minutes against Missouri on Wednesday night, UK coach Mark Pope was asked about his struggles since the St. John’s debut.
“I wouldn’t even call JQ struggling,” he said. “I mean, guys, he hadn’t played basketball in 10 months. And he’s coming back from a massive injury. And the fact that he’s on the floor for 17 minutes and playing with that kind of physicality is tremendous. So he’s gonna get better every single day. He’s a superstar in the making.
“It’s just hard. Like, this is a hard process for him. There’s no doubt about it. I was proud of him for stepping into the starting lineup and coming out being competitive and physical, and he’s going to get better and better.”
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 8:48 PM.
