Pope says JQ's return to the court 'not imminent'

Jayden Quaintance hasn’t played in more than four weeks and it’s uncertain when or if the Kentucky forward will return to the court.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope said, “it’s not imminent” that he will return after experiencing another setback during recent light workouts.

“We started him on just a very, very, very light — not even return to play — just a little rehab and there's just a little bit of swelling that came back, so we're managing that,” Pope said.

Quaintance appeared in four straight games — the final two non-conference games and the first two Southeastern Conference encounters — and hasn’t played since Jan. 7.

With just three weeks left in the regular season, Pope hasn’t ruled out the return of Quaintance, Jaland Lowe or Kam Williams.

“They’re massively important for this team,” Pope said. “They’re difference-makers, for sure. We're going to take them if we can get them.”

In Pope’s two seasons at Kentucky, the Wildcats have played just 10 of 60 games with a full roster. Overall, 10 different players have missed at least one game because of an injury.

Lowe (shoulder) hasn’t played since Jan. 10, while Williams (foot) has missed the past four games.

Kentucky (17-7, 8-3), which plays at Florida on Saturday with first place in the SEC at stake, hasn’t played since a 74-71 win over Tennessee last Saturday and had a rare week off before finishing out the regular season over the next three weeks. Pope said the break gave the Wildcats a chance to catch their breath after enduring a proverbial roller-coaster ride in his second season at the helm.

“Our guys have had a chance to recover … and I think emotionally and physically,” he said. “It (gave) us some time to catch our breath, which is why these bye weeks are so important. I think we're probably a little bit healthier than we've been and a little bit more energized. We're excited to get to the next three weeks.”

In the current conference standings, the Gators (18-6, 9-2) have won four straight and are atop the conference with a one-game lead over Kentucky and Arkansas (18-6, 8-3) going into Saturday’s showdown in Gainesville.

Pope hasn’t “made a big deal” of the stakes involved in his team’s next encounter and added he doesn’t know “how congested it is” within the conference standings.

“This is a great league,” he said. “Every team in the league is like separated by one game. … The goal is not to be in first place halfway through, but to be in first place at the end. This game matters — the game on Tuesday, every game is so important. I don't think we'll spend a lot of time on that, but it's just, every game is big.”

Gametracker: Kentucky at Florida, 2 p.m.CT, Saturday. TV/Radio: ABC, UK Radio Network on 94.7 The Mix and WiLLiE 102.


Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance (21) celebrates his dunk against St. John's during the second half of an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Atlanta. Quaintance, who has missed the past six games, is out for the near future while nursing his injured knee. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)