The Big Blue Nation has been waiting close to two years to see Jayden Quaintance take the court in the blue and white. Originally committed to John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats, Quaintance took his
talents to Tempe last season for Arizona State after the coaching change, before transferring to UK this offseason.
When the news came out on Friday that the talented sophomore would have his debut today against St. John’s, fans started to dream about what he could be once he got ramped up.
I don’t think any of us thought he would completely dominate one of the best post-players in college basketball.
That is exactly what happened as Quaintance helped propel this Kentucky team to a much-needed win in Atlanta today. He finished with 10 points on 5/7 shooting in just 17 minutes. The Ohio native also added eight rebounds (five offensive) and two blocks while finishing with a +/- of 18, ranking second in the game behind only Jaland Lowe (+20).
Quaintance flashed the lottery pick potential against a top-25 team. Whether it be on the defensive end of the floor, on the offensive glass, or flashing his playmaking ability, this team became a different unit when he is on the floor. That is going to make a major difference as we head into conference play.
“I felt great,” Quaintance said after the game. “I felt like my conditioning was good. I feel like my guys had, again, prepared me really well in all the practices and months leading up to now. So I felt good on the court. I felt like if I was able to have my time to shine, I felt like I’d make it my moment, and I feel like I did that.”
A season-changing moment, it feels like. Let the fun begin.
Go Cats!
