College basketball’s Saturday slate is set to be one of the best of the season. 12 teams in the AP Top 25 are set to take the floor, with some marquee matchups from the early afternoon into the late night.
One game to watch comes at 12:30 p.m. ET, as the Kentucky Wildcats will take on No. 22 St. John’s at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. While Rick Pitino’s Johnnies have some quality wins at 7-3, the Wildcats have struggled against top competition at 7-4. A victory could allow Kentucky to re-enter the top 25 with conference play right around the corner.
Mark Pope will be getting a major reinforcement against St. John’s, as Jack Pilgrim of KSR and On3 reported that Jayden Quaintance will make his season debut on Saturday. The Arizona State transfer had missed the previous 11 games due to an ACL tear. After nine months of rehab from surgery, he will return.
Quaintance is a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-10 sophomore averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.1 steals and an astonishing 2.6 blocks per game for the Sun Devils last season. He established himself as an interior force, shooting nearly 60% on two-pointers.
The 18-year-old has immense potential, already in his second year of college basketball at his age. He has displayed elite explosiveness and defense, particularly in the paint. Because he’s so young with notable strengths that don’t necessarily include offense, there is a high floor for the prospect.
Quaintance does, however, need to show improved shot-making to be taken seriously on that end of the floor. He shot under 20% on threes last season, and didn’t pull the trigger much outside of the paint or a few feet from the basket.
Still, he is currently ranked ninth on Draft Digest’s NBA Big Board, one spot ahead of Karim Lopez (NZ Breakers) and one behind freshman standout Koa Peat (Arizona). There is plenty of time for Quaintance to prove himself, and he should receive plenty of opportunities as the season moves along for Kentucky.
The Wildcats’ defense has been near the top of the country (17th in defensive rating), but the offense isn’t quite on that level, which has held them back at times (35th in the country). No player is averaging at least 15 points per game, showing a lack of star talent. Pope has seen more of a balanced attack from his group, and Quaintance will join that.