Forget finesse, Kentucky loads up on physicality
Last season, Kentucky fans watched Mark Pope's squad light up the nets from deep, breaking the all-time school record for made three-pointers in a season. The 1992-93 team had held the mark at 340 for over three decades — until Pope’s group swished 341.
But 2025-26? This group isn’t built to break shooting records. This team might break you.
With Jayden Quaintance, Mouhamed Dioubate, Kam Williams, Malachi Moreno, and Andrija Jelavić anchoring a long and athletic defensive core, the next record to fall might not come from behind the arc, but above it.
🧱 Individual blocks, will Quaintance make history?
Kentucky’s all-time top five single-season shot blockers reads like a who’s who of elite rim protectors:
- Anthony Davis (2011-12) – 186 blocks
- Nerlens Noel2012-13), Willie Cauley-Stein (2013-14) – 106 blocks
- Karl-Anthony Towns (2014-15) – 88 blocks
- Andre Riddick (1993-94) – 83 blocks
To break into the top 10, a player needs at least 73 blocks in a single season.
Jayden Quaintance had 63 blocks in just 24 games last year at Arizona State. If he maintains that pace over a 32-game schedule, he would project to hit around 84 blocks — more than enough to crack the top five and tie Riddick’s mark.
He's not Davis or Noel, but few freshmen enter college with his blend of strength, bounce, and defensive instincts. Now in year 2 if his ACL is fully healthy, he’s got a real shot at making this list — and climbing it.
🧱 Team blocks, could they challenge 2012?
The 2011-12 national championship team, led by Anthony Davis, holds the team record with an absurd 344 blocks. That’s the gold standard. The rest of the top five:
- 2011-12 – 344 blocks
- 2009-10 – 272 blocks
- 2014-15 – 268 blocks
- 2010-11 – 239 blocks
- 2008-09 – 238 blocks
Last year’s Kentucky team had 207 blocks, despite not being known for defense.
This year’s roster is loaded with length and rim protection. Quaintance is just the start. Add in Dioubate, Moreno, Jelavić and Williams; Pope has the bodies and defensive mindset to roll out a rim-protecting unit on nearly every possession. It’s unlikely they’ll top the 2011 344 — but second or third on the all-time list? That’s in play.
🕵️ Individual steals can Jaland Lowe climb the list?
Reed Sheppard came within five steals of tying the all-time Kentucky single-season record last year. Rajon Rondo still holds the crown:
- Rajon Rondo (2004-05) – 87 steals
- Reed Sheppard (2023-24) – 82 steals
- Wayne Turner (1996-97) – 79 steals
- Rodrick Rhodes (1993-94) – 76 steals
- Cliff Hawkins (2003-04) – 74 steals
Enter Jaland Lowe, the crafty transfer portal addition from Pitt. He racked up 55 steals last season while playing a massive 35 minutes per game. At Kentucky, his minutes might shrink, but his role as the defensive point-of-attack won’t. And with the depth at Mark Pope's disposal a return to a pressure style defense isn't out of the question.
To reach Rondo’s 87 steals, Lowe would need to average nearly three steals per game — a steep hill. But cracking the top five? That’s a reasonable goal, especially if he plays with the kind of activity that Pope preaches.
🔮 Final prediction, expect a new name in the block party
If you’re betting on one Kentucky record to fall this season, bank on Jayden Quaintance breaking into the top 10 in single-season blocks — and possibly the top five. He’s got the tools, the minutes, and the support cast to make it happen.
The team blocks record? Probably safe for another year unless things get truly special in the paint. And Rondo’s steals crown? Still the standard — but Lowe could join that conversation if he hits the ground running.
One thing is clear: Mark Pope’s second Kentucky team will be known not just for scoring, but for stopping people. And that shift alone might be enough to shake the record books once again.