Kentucky Basketball head coach Mark Pope provided an update on Thursday on the status of sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance, confirming the big man remains sidelined as he continues to battle knee swelling with no clear timetable for a return.
Quaintance has not played since January 7, and Pope made it clear the situation remains fluid.
“He’s still dealing with a little bit of swelling, so we’re trying to make sure that we get to a great kickoff point,” Pope said. “I wish I could predict how that’s
going to work. We don’t know.”
Because of the lingering issue, Quaintance is currently not doing any basketball activities and has been fully shut down.
“Right now, he’s on full shutdown in terms of his on-court work. We’re doing everything we can with the performance team,” Pope said.
One of the biggest concerns for Kentucky’s staff is the effect the downtime is having on Quaintance’s strength development. Pope explained that each missed day creates a challenge, particularly when it comes to protecting the knee long-term.
“Every day he misses, he loses some of the strength that they worked so hard to develop, the knee protective strength,” Pope said. “It’s a little bit of a complicated bag.”
Pope also confirmed Quaintance will not play Saturday at Arkansas unless there is significant improvement, showing how cautious Kentucky is being with Quaintance’s health.
With the Wildcats already dealing with multiple injuries this season, Quaintance’s continued absence has tested Kentucky’s depth in the frontcourt. Still, Pope emphasized the priority remains Quaintance’s long-term health rather than rushing him back before he’s fully ready.
