Jayden Quaintance, left, has played in only four games for UK but is still projected as a top 20 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Cameron Mills played with Mark Pope on Kentucky’s 1996 championship team and now does work for the UK Sports Network. He has access to practice and has watched sophomore Jayden Quaintance try to come back from knee surgery he had last year at Arizona State before transferring to UK.
“I watch JQ work out 2 on 2 or 3 on 3 and he is dominant against everybody,” said Mills on WPBK-FM Thursday. “That’s why everyone was thinking once we get JQ back and JLo (Jaland Lowe) healthy look at who we are going to be.”
Quaintance made his UK debut in a 78-66 win over St. John’s in Atlanta on Dec. 20. He had 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots in only 17 minutes to give UK fans a glimpse of what he could do and how much he could help UK. However, he played in just three more games — Bellarmine, Missouri and Alabama — and had 10 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one block and six turnovers in 49 minutes.
Lowe is out for the season after having shoulder surgery and Mills said it was “his opinion” that Quaintance would not be back because the knee swelling has not stopped.
“So, we started him on just a very, very, very light — not even return to play just a little rehab,” Pope said Thursday. “And there’s just a little bit of swelling that came back. We’re managing that. But it’s not imminent right now.”
Kentucky sophomore Kam Williams is also out with a broken foot. Like Quaintance, Pope has yet to say he will not play again this season even though it seems unlikely with only seven regular season games left.
“No, because they’re massively important for this team,” Pope said Thursday when asked about declaring them out for the season. “And they’re difference-makers, for sure. We are going to take them if we can get them. And if we didn’t have this conversation every day, what would we talk about?”
Quaintance was the marquee transfer in Pope’s second recruiting class and was projected as a 2026 NBA Draft lottery pick when he got to Kentucky because of his defensive ability, size, offense and youth.
ESPN released a new mock draft Thursday and Quaintance dropped from No. 9 to 18th
“Quaintance’s defensive upside and ability as a lob threat should keep him in the lottery mix, but barring a return this season, he won’t be able to strengthen his case until the predraft process begins,” ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo wrote. “His limited body of work — averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds last season — points to a wide draft range.”
8 Responses
Jayden Quaintance did what some people in these comments knew he would do. When people call it you know it's B.S.. They finessed Pope out of a big check because he's not very street smart. He can't read between the lines, because he trust everyone because in the profession he's in there is a union so he trust what he's doing. In real life people will cut your throat for a 18$ a hour job. What do you think they would do for almost 3 million dollars???
Jayden Quaintance did what some people in these comments knew he would do. When people call it you know it's B.S.. They finessed Pope out of a big check because he's not very street smart. He can't read between the lines, because he trust everyone because in the profession he's in there is a union so he trust what he's doing. In real life people will cut your throat for a 18$ a hour job. What do you think they would do for almost 3 million dollars???
JQ should be kicked off the team. People like him aren't welcome here.
Take the money and run. It seems we have seen that scenario before. It was very bad judgment to put that much emphasis on the star rating and not enough on the medical judgment. This is on Pope's inexperience and Barnhart's stupidity.
I'm really concern the future of our basketball program is headed as far no recruits has been sign for next year and this JLM deal has put stall in our recruiting. We need a fresh AD in my opinion to get our basketball program where it should be.
Coach Pope needs an intelligent General Manager to choose players. HIs performance this year sucks.
No more purchasing players who are hurt or can't play for whatever reason..
Maybe they ahould even got them jlm deal because it's really hurting the recruiting status for kentucky I think pope needs to let someone else do the recruiting like general manager to help out with the recruiting phrase and not jlm
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