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Kentucky sophomore center Jayden Quaintance watches junior center Brandon Garrison in practice – Photo by Chet White, UK Athletics
Jayden Quaintance can only watch Kentucky’s first practices from the sidelines as he continues to rehab from his ACL surgery; even though he can’t participate, he’s doing everything he can to learn Mark Pope’s system so he can hit the ground running once cleared for full contact.
“I’ve been watching film and doing things that way,” Quaintance told reporters on Tuesday. “So that’s been another way that I’ve been learning, but watching from the sideline, just seeing what guys are doing, just visually, I feel like that’s really helped me memorize some of the things. And being able to picture what I’ll be able to do, or where I’ll be at during those steps, has been very helpful and impactful for me.”
One player in particular is showing Quaintance the role he could play under Pope: Brandon Garrison. Like Quaintance, Garrison was a McDonald’s All-American in high school and transferred to Kentucky after starting his college career elsewhere.
In his first season under Pope, Garrison steadily improved on both ends of the court, finishing the season averaging 5.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. After not attempting a single three during his year at Oklahoma State, Garrison made 12 as a sophomore at Kentucky on 40 attempts. He also passed the ball more, totaling 18 more assists than his freshman season.
In his freshman season at Arizona State, Quaintance earned All-Big 12 Freshman and Defensive Team honors, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.9 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game before injuring his knee. He’s already a projected top ten pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but transferred to Kentucky to expand his game under Mark Pope. Garrison’s growth is showing him a path forward.
“They’ve been showing me a lot of film on BG,” Quaintance said of the coaching staff. “Just kind of how he’s able to space the floor, be outside the three-point line, catch and shoot, shots, make passes, things of that nature.”
Film is one thing. Quaintance said that while watching practice this summer, he’s been impressed with the energy Garrison brings to the floor.
“Just the level of activity that BG plays with surprised me a lot; that was really interesting to see,” Quaintance said of his early impressions from practice. “He’s been playing really hard, you know, making passes, just impacting every play, you know, like every play is getting touches, trying to get other people involved. He’s been a very good kind of leader, having been here last year. Those are the things that stuck out to me the most about him.”
Last month, Garrison told reporters that he’s enjoying taking Quaintance under his wing like Amari Williams did him a year ago. Williams, who wasn’t considered a serious NBA Draft prospect when he transferred to Kentucky from Drexel in 2024, is now with the Boston Celtics, who acquired him in a trade for the No. 46 pick a few weeks ago.
“For sure,” Garrison said of showing Quaintance the ropes. “I’m just trying to use everything I learned from Amari and being the older guy. I’ve been talking to Jayden. He’s been doing great in his rehab and stuff…Just trying to chat it up with him, keep him in good spirits and stuff, and just trying to teach him the way.”
Quaintance is soaking up that knowledge like a sponge.
“Just talking me through things, helping me learn the terminology, learn the plays, and leading through example again, through the practices. Just watching how he relocates on offense and defense, how he’s a big talker, just making sure everybody knows what’s going on. It’s been a really big part of my learning experience so far.”
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