Skip to main content
KSRKSR Plus
KSBoard
Kentucky
Join KSR+

Kentucky now a "contender"? More national reactions to the St. John's win

Tyler-Thompsonby: Tyler Thompson12/22/25MrsTylerKSR

What a difference a half makes. When Kentucky trailed St. John’s by seven at halftime, and it looked like the Cats could be without Jaland Lowe for the rest of the season, vibes were very, very low in Big Blue Nation. After Lowe returned and teamed up with Jayden Quaintance to lead Kentucky to its most impressive win of the season, fans are dreaming big dreams again, and even the national media is singing a different tune about the Cats.

We’ll find out what the AP voters think of Kentucky when the new poll is released around lunch, but early returns suggest it’s very likely that the Cats climb back into the Top 25. Kentucky’s big win was one of the talking points from a busy basketball weekend. Here are a few of the best clippings as we wait to see if Kentucky gets a number next to its name once again.

The Athletic’s CJ Moore

Moore moved Kentucky into his Top 25, to No. 24 to be exact. In his weekly rankings column, he shared some clips from the St. John’s game that show why Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance make Kentucky a different team. Lowe’s passing allows Otega Oweh to get back to his natural role of attacking the rim, while Quaintance’s impact on the defensive end can’t be overstated.

This is what it was supposed to look like for Kentucky. High energy, Lowe with the ball in his hands and UK’s physicality and size wearing down the opponent. Quaintance seemed to raise everyone’s effort with his motor. It was only one game, but a very encouraging one for the Cats. Last week, I wrote that if it went right, the Lowe/Quaintance combo would make the Cats an NCAA Tournament team and help them finish around fifth in the league. It’s possible I’ll want a do-over on that. The version of the Cats that played Saturday could contend for an SEC title if they play that hard every game going forward.

The Athletic’s CJ Moore

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish

Parrish was in Atlanta for the CBS Sports Classic. After seeing how much better Kentucky looks with Lowe and Quaintance in the lineup firsthand, he moved Kentucky up to No. 21 in his rankings. In his column from the game, Parrish wrote the win could be a turning point in the season — if Lowe can stay healthy.

So is everything now all sunshine and roses at Kentucky?

That’s probably a stretch, if only because it sounds like Lowe will have to, as Pope put it, “fight through this deal” with his shoulder for a while. And, if the win over St. John’s showed us anything other than that Kentucky can be really good when its best players are actually on the court together, it’s that Lowe’s shoulder could pop up as an issue that forces him off the court at basically any time.

Fingers crossed and all that.

Either way, Saturday did feel like a possible turning point for Kentucky. For the first time all season, the Wildcats’ most important players were all on the floor together. It took them 11 games and one half to make it a reality, but the early impressions were undeniably impressive.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish

The Field of 68

The Field of 68 crew spent a lot of time talking about Kentucky’s win, and named the Cats a “contender” in this week’s superlatives.

Matt McCall specifically focused on the impact Lowe and Quaintance have on Otega Oweh, who finished with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and three steals.

Jon Rothstein

Kentucky is up to No. 25 in Rothstein’s rankings. As he said, Saturday’s win shows that BBN can finally exhale.

This is why we needed to wait until a day like Saturday to fully evaluate the Wildcats. This is why if healthy, Jayden Quaintance is a bonafide candidate to be the National Defensive Player of the Year. Operating with a full roster for the first time this season, Kentucky put together a terrific second half en route to a 78-66 come-from-behind victory on Saturday over St. John’s in the CBS Sports Classic. With Quaintance — who had 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in 18 minutes — and Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe (13 points, three assists, three rebounds) now back in the lineup, things are finally starting to align in Lexington. Keep a close eye on Mark Pope’s squad, who will next host Bellarmine on Tuesday.

Jon Rothstein

Sam Vecenie

Sam Vecenie evaluates NBA Draft prospects for The Athletic. He had a lot of fun breaking down Jayden Quaintance’s tape. He shared five minutes of that breakdown on Twitter. You can see the rest on his Substack.

Discuss This Article

Comments have moved.

Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.

KSBoard

2026-01-06