Kentucky fans won’t need to wait on the SEC Availability Report this time — sophomore big man Jayden Quaintance will not play in Wednesday’s home game against Texas.
Head coach Mark Pope told reporters on Tuesday that Quaintance, who has been dealing with knee swelling, has been ruled out for the matchup. The 6-foot-10 forward hasn’t appeared in Kentucky’s last three games, following an 18-minute outing against Missouri on January 7.
“He will not play tomorrow night, but he’s making progress,” Pope said. “We’re super optimistic, and you know, he’s kind of going through the process, and hopefully he’ll be back soon. I know that’s not very descriptive, but I’m trying to be protective of him also.
Quaintance has appeared in just four games this season — starting once — after rehabbing a torn ACL for nine months. He’s averaged five points and five rebounds per game on 57.1% shooting, but his knee hasn’t fully responded, keeping Pope cautious about rushing him back onto the court.
With Quaintance sidelined, Pope will likely stick with Malachi Moreno as the starting center and Brandon Garrison as the backup. Kentucky is 3-0 using that lineup, and the Wildcats will aim to make it 4-0 when Texas visits Rupp Arena on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET (SEC Network). Quaintance’s next potential chance to return will come Saturday against Ole Miss at home (noon ET | ESPN).
Kentucky Trending Up in Bracketology
After a massive road win over Tennessee, Kentucky’s NCAA tournament resume is looking stronger. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi now has the Wildcats as a No. 8 seed, climbing from No. 10 just before the Tennessee victory.
In Lunardi’s latest hypothetical bracket, Kentucky would face Miami in the first round in Philadelphia, with a potential second-round matchup against No. 1 seed UConn. Texas, Wednesday’s opponent, is a No. 11 seed in the South Region.
Other SEC teams in the bracket include Vanderbilt (No. 3), Florida (No. 4), Alabama (No. 5), Arkansas (No. 5), Tennessee (No. 6), Georgia (No. 8), Auburn (No. 9), and Texas A&M (No. 10).
Team Sheet & Upcoming Games
Kentucky sits at No. 28 in the NET Rankings, up six spots after the Tennessee win. The Cats are 3-5 in Quad 1 games and 2-1 in Quads 2 and 3. Based solely on NET Rankings, they’d be projected as a No. 7 seed.
With nine Quad 1 games remaining, Kentucky has plenty of chances to improve its resume — but also opportunities to stumble. Key upcoming home matchups include Texas (Wednesday) and Ole Miss (Saturday).
Remaining Quad 1–4 Breakdown:
Quad 1: 3-5 (Games Remaining: 9)
Quad 2: 2-1 (Games Remaining: 4)
Quad 3: 1-0 (Games Remaining: 1)
Quad 4: 7-0 (Games Remaining: 0)
Kentucky has been trending up after back-to-back road wins, but addressing slow starts and halftime deficits will be crucial for the stretch run.
