Kentucky Basketball’s Unsung Contributors: How Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance Are Helping the Wildcats Win-Even Off the Court
When this Kentucky basketball season tipped off, Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance were expected to be key pillars in Mark Pope’s rotation. Both arrived in Lexington with impressive résumés and high expectations-Lowe as a proven ACC playmaker from Pittsburgh, and Quaintance as the crown jewel of Kentucky’s offseason transfer class.
But as the Wildcats ride a five-game winning streak into Tuesday night’s matchup at No. 18 Vanderbilt, neither has played much of a role on the floor.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t made an impact.
Lowe, a junior point guard, played just nine games before a right shoulder injury shut him down for the season. Quaintance, a sophomore big man and projected NBA lottery pick, has suited up only four times while managing swelling in his surgically repaired knee. It’s not the script anyone envisioned for these two, but their influence on Kentucky’s locker room and game prep has been undeniable.
Quaintance’s Presence Beyond the Paint
Quaintance came to Kentucky with serious buzz after a standout freshman year at Arizona State. He averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 boards, 2.6 blocks, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game-all while being the youngest player in college basketball. That season was cut short by a torn ACL, and while his time in blue and white hasn’t matched that production yet, his basketball mind is still making a difference.
“He gave us a pretty good scout on Tennessee and Texas,” freshman center Malachi Moreno said, crediting Quaintance with helping the team prepare for key matchups.
Head coach Mark Pope echoed that sentiment, praising Quaintance’s feel for the game. “I think he’s a high-IQ player that’s going to really pick up the feel of how we play quickly,” Pope said last month, just before Quaintance made his Kentucky debut.
Since then, Quaintance has missed five straight games, and he’ll be sidelined again Tuesday. But his role as a scout and mentor has helped keep him engaged-and helped his teammates stay prepared.
Lowe’s Leadership from the Sidelines
Lowe’s absence has been felt on the court, especially at the point guard spot. He was a third-team All-ACC selection at Pitt last season, and Kentucky brought him in to be a stabilizing force in the backcourt. Instead, he’s become a different kind of leader-one with a clipboard instead of a basketball.
“I think there’s so much that he can learn and grow from,” Pope said. “There’s so many ways he can grow right now.
I think he can grow as a leader. I think his ceiling is to be an elite-level leader.”
Lowe has taken on more responsibility in scouting and game planning, offering insights from the bench and during practices. For senior guard Denzel Aberdeen, who’s taken over point guard duties in Lowe’s absence, that support has been invaluable.
“He’s been a coach, even if he was playing or not,” Aberdeen said. “He’s a very good leader, very good person and especially helping me a lot. He’s always in my ear telling me what he sees and stuff like that.”
That mentorship dates back to summer workouts, when Lowe and Aberdeen were battling each other on the practice court. Now, it’s Aberdeen who’s trying to channel Lowe’s game sense during live action.
“Every little thing I’ve seen him do in practice, I feel like I can implement in my game,” Aberdeen said. “Anything he sees, I know it’s going to work because he’s a very good guard.”
Sophomore guard Collin Chandler also praised Lowe’s presence, calling him “like another coach” and noting his vocal leadership and basketball IQ. Lowe missed Saturday’s win over Ole Miss as he prepared for surgery, but his voice has still echoed through the team’s preparation.
The Bigger Picture
With Kentucky likely down to just nine scholarship players for Tuesday’s game at Vanderbilt, the importance of every voice in the locker room becomes magnified. For Pope, this stretch could be transformative for both Lowe and Quaintance-not just in how they help the team now, but in how they evolve as players and leaders moving forward.
“If he does this right, then this is going to change his basketball career,” Pope said of Lowe. “The education he’s able to get now, there’s no other way he would get this... I expect him to dig in, and I expect him to come out as a different human being, to think about the game different, think about how he communicates with his teammates different, to think about how to unify a group different.”
It’s not the path anyone expected. But if Kentucky keeps winning, and Lowe and Quaintance keep shaping the team from behind the scenes, it might just be the path that works.