When Jayden Quaintance committed to Kentucky, the most important question was not whether he would be good; it was would he be healthy. After tearing his ACL and coming back in 9 months, Quaintance's knee started swell and he hasn't been seen on the court since the Missouri game back on January 7th. So, the answer to the most important question seems to be a resounding no.
Mark Pope addresses Jayden Quaintance injury with somber update
Today, Kentucky head coach Mark Pope took to the podium to address the media ahead of the showdown with Auburn. He was asked about JQ, and his answer doesn't really give BBN much hopethat they will see Jayden back out on the court in Kentucky blue:
"He is not ready right now. He's not ready and, and we're not gonna roll him out there till he's 100%. ...He's gotta be 100% ready. ...We haven't incorporated him back into practice. And so that's complicated. I don't know how optimistic I am about that."
Mark Pope is almost always an eternal optimist. This is a guy who tries to find the bright side of everything, and for him to just come out and say I am not optimistic confirms the worst possible news.
When healthy, Jayden Quaintance is an absolute difference maker on both ends of the court, especially for this Kentucky team. He brings a big body, a defensive anchor, and rebounding prowess that Brandon Garrison just doesn't provide. Without him, Malachi Moreno has stepped up big time, but the freshman is still a freshman, as seen against Georgia. Moreno will play hard, but he has a long way to go to be as impactful as he can be.
Like the Jaland Lowe injury, this should at least provide a reference point for everyone else on the team. Quaintance is not coming back, and the role that they are in right now is what they will be in going forward.
The question becomes can they, and the only way to know is on the floor.