Jayden Quaintance now participating in 5-on-0 work as he inches closer toward Kentucky debut

It’s almost time for Jayden Quaintance to make his debut as a Kentucky Wildcat, the Arizona State transfer taking the next step forward in his recovery process after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL back in March. He’s been running, jumping and dunking in recent weeks, and now, the 6’10.5″ forward has been cleared for 5-on-0 drills — officially on the floor with his teammates.

We knew he was “breaking every record known to humankind,” according to Mark Pope, but now, we’ve got real milestones to match that optimism.

“Man, he’s unbelievable. He’s been increasingly ahead of schedule and he’s now jumping in on some 5-on-0 stuff with us on the floor,” Pope said Thursday. “He’s just been cleared to do that, so he’s racing up and down the floor a little bit, doing stuff with no contact. He’s on his way.”

Just how quickly could his debut come? Today’s update included the next steps Quaintance will have to take to get there — one major one before we can get serious about the return of the likely lottery pick.

“We have one more really, really important strength test that will come up here, I think three weeks from right now,” Pope said. “His asymmetry is almost negligible, it’s pretty incredible. So we’ll put him through that and see where he goes, but the work he’s put in has been just really inspiring. He’s moving on the court really well right now.”

That strength test will measure the symmetry between his injured leg and healthy leg while comparing his size, weight and mobility to other players, determining his readiness. Things are already looking up in those areas, but that will be the conclusion before Quaintance begins the ramp-up process to get to game speed.

Then he will play — music to Big Blue Nation’s ears, the fanbase giddy to get a true game-changer on the defensive end back on the floor. We’re in the final stages as we speak.

“It’s way too complicated for me to understand, but I trust the guys that are doing it,” Pope said. “He’s a record-breaking guy. If you come watch him do 5-on-0 full-court — he was doing transition 5-on-0 with us yesterday — and you just watch him run down the court, he just looks different than I looked as a basketball player [laughs].”

No disrespect, Pope, but you’re exactly right: Jayden Quaintance looks like he was built in a factory.

Soon, fans will be able to see that machine in action, suiting up as a Wildcat.