Have we seen the last of Jayden Quaintance in a Kentucky Basketball jersey?
When Quaintance was recently revealed to have swelling in his surgically repaired knee — leading to him missing the last three games — it didn’t sound like something that could knock him out for ‘too’ long.
However, Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman says there’s a real chance we won’t see Quaintance again this season.
Following Kentucky’s comeback win over Tennessee, Goodman said Quaintance’s status for the near future is “iffy,” and
sitting out the rest of the season appears to be a very real option.
“Iffy for the near future. The soonest we’re gonna see him back is probably a week or two, and there’s a good chance he doesn’t come back this year. Who knows,” said Goodman of Quaintance’s status.
Now, this is just one reporter’s view on the situation, but hearing there’s a “good chance” that Quaintance doesn’t play again this season is not what UK fans wanted to hear.
While this was an amazing week of comeback wins for the Cats, it doesn’t feel like this group is close to being a team capable of making a run to the Final Four. A healthy Jayden Quaintance could go a long way in helping Kentucky reach that kind of level.
But even if Quaintance is healthy and playing, it’s clear that Malachi Moreno needs to keep playing heavy minutes, while Andrija Jelavic and Mo Dioubate have certainly earned minutes as well. How would Kentucky effectively manage the rotation if Quaintance does play again?
I’m sure that’s a problem Mark Pope would love to have. Quaintance has a rare level of talent, one that we saw a glimpse of when he helped the Wildcats rally past a then-top 25 St. John’s squad in Catlanta. He’s also widely projected as an NBA Draft lottery pick for a reason. Even if he doesn’t play again this season, Quaintance will almost certainly be a first-round draft pick, and there’s a good chance he’d still crack the lottery.
It’s unfortunate that there now appears to be a chance we don’t see JQ again this season, but the unexpected rise of Moreno could certainly help offset some of that loss.
