Mark Pope shares stunning replace on Kentucky star after getting benched vs. Tennessee

Jayden Quaintance’s college basketball career might be over. The Kentucky Wildcats power forward has missed his team’s last nine games due to knee soreness. He was on the bench once more against Tennessee on Saturday night. The Wildcats won 74-71.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope has now shared a disheartening update on the star power forward.

“We started him on just a very, very, very light rehab, and there’s just a little bit of swelling that came back. So, we’re managing that, but it’s not imminent right now.” Pope said when asked about Quaintance’s injury outlook.

The last time Jayden Quaintance suited up for a game was in the home loss to Missouri before the Wildcats won eight of their next nine. Quaintance has been a spectator in the stellar form while recuperating from a knee issue.

According to Sports Illustrated, Mark Pope’s update suggests Quaintance was finally able to do some rehab, but when he did, his knee swelled up again. That made it impossible for him to feature against the Volunteers.

This is the latest in what’s been a tough couple of months for the athletic power forward. He spent the entire offseason and a significant portion of the regular season recovering from ACL surgery. He made his Wildcats debut against St. John’s but, after only a few games, was back on the sidelines with knee swelling.

Jayden Quaintance joined Kentucky after a season at Arizona State

Jayden Quaintance started his collegiate basketball career with the Arizona State Sun Devils. He racked up 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 24 games with the program.

Quaintance’s freshman season was cut short as he suffered a knee injury in February 2025 and missed the rest of the campaign. He had surgery on the knee on March 19 and entered the transfer portal shortly after.

The Kentucky Wildcats won the Jayden Quaintance sweepstakes. They signed Quaintance to add skill, rebounding and a physical presence in the paint. However, this season hasn’t gone on plan for the 2024 McDonald’s All-American.

Quaintance is now in a race against time to feature once again on the hardwood. There are only seven games left in the regular season before March Madness begins.