Quaintance's Knee Swelling: Wildcats' Postseason Without Star Forward

0:00On March 19, Kentucky Wildcats fans got tough news this week about star 4 Jaden Quaintance. The 6-foot-ten Big Man has been out for over two months, with knee swelling that just won't quit. With only a few weeks left in the season, a return lips very unlikely for the projected first-round NBA draft pick. Head Coach Mark Pope gave the latest update on his Monday radio show. He said Quaintance is progressing, but won't likely cross the threshold to play before this weekend. The coach has been cautious all along, noting no full practices yet. Quaintance opened up to reporters ahead of the team's first-round NCAA tournament game against Santa Clara. He explained that while his strength is solid, the swelling lingers and on-court work would need to ramp up slowly. A comeback right now seems improbable. The Ford last suited up on January 7 against Missouri, logging just five games total this season. Since then, swelling has kept him off the floor, limited to basic jump shots at most. He's zeroed in on rehab to beat the swelling, and the staff is pushing as fast as possible.

1:03As the Wildcats head into the postseason, they'll need to make do without their key big man for the stretch run.