Kentucky head coach Mark Pope has delivered some long-awaited good news regarding two of the Wildcats’ most important players. Fresh updates on freshman big man Jayden Quaintance and sophomore guard Jaland Lowe show both are progressing well in their respective recoveries.
Jaland Lowe Returns to On-Court Work
Lowe’s situation has been the more unpredictable of the two. After injuring his shoulder during the Blue-White scrimmage, he aggravated it again the day before Kentucky’s matchup with Eastern Illinois on Nov. 14—an incident that initially cast doubt on how soon he could return.
But Pope’s comments over the past week have shifted the tone from concern to optimism. After saying Friday that the team would “take another swing at it” depending on how rehab progressed, Pope revealed on his Monday call-in show that Lowe has officially returned to controlled practice activity.
> “Jaland Lowe was on the court today in non-contact skill work,” Pope said. “He’s making progress, which is really exciting. It’ll continue to be a day-to-day scenario.”
Pope also noted that Lowe has been engaged vocally in practice, helping coach and direct teammates—something the staff values highly as part of his development.
Jayden Quaintance Steps Up to 3-on-3 Drills
As for Quaintance, his road back from an ACL injury suffered in February continues to stay ahead of projections. For nearly a month, the 6-10 forward has steadily increased his workload, and now he’s taken another significant step.
After participating in 2-on-2 drills late last week, Pope confirmed that Quaintance has advanced to 3-on-3 action for the first time.
> “There’s still a safety protocol with him when he’s doing any type of almost-live action,” Pope said. “He was in 3-on-3 today—first time he’s done some 3-on-3. He’s making steady progress.”
With every session, Quaintance appears to be inching closer to his long-anticipated debut, giving Kentucky fans legitimate reason to believe he could return sooner rather than later.
A Major Boost Is Coming for Kentucky
There’s no overstating how much these two players mean to the Wildcats. Lowe has already shown he can be a stabilizing force in the backcourt, and Quaintance is viewed as one of the most gifted big men in college basketball—and a top-tier NBA Draft prospect.
Whenever they return, both players are poised to give Kentucky a major lift on both ends of the floor.
