Kentucky basketball’s frontcourt looks much different heading into the 2025-26 season, and sophomore Jayden Quaintance might be the biggest reason why.

Quaintance, who transferred to Kentucky this offseason after playing his freshman year at Arizona State, has made a significant change by not only adding muscle but also growing taller during his recovery from an ACL injury.

When Kentucky first released its roster earlier this summer, the 18-year-old forward was measured at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds.

Now, updated measurements show him at 6-foot-10½ and 255 pounds, which is a dramatic transformation that positions him as one of Kentucky’s most imposing big men.

The added size comes as Kentucky looks to reload after losing eight scholarship players to either graduation or the transfer portal, with Quaintance projected to play a key role in a rotation that emphasizes length and athleticism. His ability to rebound, defend, and score around the basket will be critical for a Kentucky team aiming to get back to its old ways of dominating college basketball again.

While his ACL recovery remains something to monitor, Kentucky coaches and teammates have praised his work ethic throughout rehab. For Kentucky, Quaintance represents both immediate frontcourt help and long-term potential as one of the youngest players in college basketball.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UNL) – The No. 1 Nebraska volleyball team rallied to reverse sweep No. 7 Kentucky at the Broadway Block Party at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday afternoon.

After dropping the first two sets 24-26, 20-25, the Huskers regrouped with 25-19, 25-23 and 15-8 set wins to end the match and start the year 4-0. It marked Nebraska’s first reverse sweep win since Nov. 3, 2023 at Penn State.

Harper Murray had a career-high 23 kills with 15 digs and five blocks. Rebekah Allick added 10 kills and eight blocks, and Andi Jackson recorded 10 kills and four blocks. Taylor Landfair chipped in seven kills.

Bergen Reilly posted 46 assists and 18 digs. Olivia Mauch had 14 digs, playing the final three sets at libero. Laney Choboy contributed 10 digs.

The Huskers had a .221 to .168 edge in hitting percentage. Both teams had 59 kills and 12 blocks. The Huskers had 13 more digs, 73-60.

Brooklyn DeLeye (23) and Eva Hudson (19) combined for 42 of Kentucky’s 59 kills in the match.

Set 1: A 5-1 run put the Big Red up 8-4. Jackson served an ace, and Allick had a kill and block with Allie Sczech before a Landfair kill. Jackson and Murray tallied back-to-back kills, and Sigler chased a ball off the court that led to another Murray kill for a 13-8 advantage. Kills by Jackson and Landfair kept NU in front, 16-13, but Kentucky scored three in a row to tie the set at 16-16. Kentucky took a 20-18 lead after a 3-0 run keyed by two DeLeye kills. After a timeout, Murray terminated to cut it to 20-19, and a kill by Murray and back-row attack on Kentucky tied it 22-22. Hudson answered for the Wildcats, but a UK hitting error made it 23-23. Hudson earned set point with a kill, but Allick answered for the Big Red. DeLeye came right back for Kentucky, and a Husker hitting error gave the Wildcats a 26-24 win.

Set 2: Nebraska led 6-3 when Kentucky went on a 7-1 run to go up 10-7. A pair of Kentucky errors and a Landfair kill made it 10-10. Sczech posted a kill before a block by Jackson and Murray put NU up 16-14. The Wildcats responded with three points in a row to go up 17-16. Kills by Jackson and Landfair helped put the Huskers back on top, 19-18, but the Wildcats ended the set on a 7-1 run to win 25-20 and go up 2-0.

Set 3: Two kills by Landfair around one by Murray gave NU a 9-7 lead. After UK scored the next three, Allick was in on back-to-back blocks with Virginia Adriano and Murray for a 12-10 Husker advantage. Two straight kills by Murray put the Huskers up 15-12 at the media timeout. Murray and Reilly added kills as the Huskers’ lead grew to 20-15. Hudson and DeLeye scored for Kentucky before Murray killed from the back row and Sigler won a long rally for a 22-17 lead. Back-to-back attacking errors by the Wildcats gave NU set point, and an Allick kill put the set away, 25-19.

Set 4: Murray and Jackson each recorded a pair of kills to take the Huskers to a 6-3 lead. Murray and Sigler added two more kills, and Allick had a block with Adriano, a kill, and another block with Murray for an 11-6 lead. A 5-1 run got Kentucky within one, 12-11, but the Huskers stayed in front and an ace by Murray made it 15-12. Allick and Reilly combined for a block, and Murray flew out of the back row for her 19th kill that made it 18-13. But Kentucky answered with a 6-1 run to tie the score at 19-19. Murray and Jackson put down kills and Kentucky hit wide for a 23-21 NU lead. The teams traded service errors to give NU set point at 24-22, and Jackson finished off a 25-23 win.

Set 5: NU started strong with a 5-2 lead that led to a Kentucky timeout, thanks to two kills by Murray, and one each by Adriano and Reilly. Landfair and Jackson teamed up for a block to make it 6-2. Kentucky bounced back with a 3-0 run to force a Husker timeout at 6-5, but two Kentucky errors gave NU an 8-5 advantage as the teams changed sides. Allick posted a kill and a block with Adriano to push the Husker lead to four, 11-7. Teraya Sigler served an ace after a Kentucky timeout for a 12-7 lead, and Murray and Allick stuffed another Kentucky attack to make it 13-7. Murray’s career-high 23rd kill earned match point, 14-8, and the Huskers won on a Mauch ace.

Up Next: The Huskers host Wright State at 7 p.m. on Friday at John Cook Arena at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. NU will also host California on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops told us that the strength of Kentucky’s team would be the team in 2025. Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White told us that the defense was going to lean into its depth more than it had in the past.

That all played out in the Week 1 win over Toledo.

UK’s defense controlled the game and kept Toledo out of the endzone until the fourth quarter. While the game was very much still in the balance early, the Cats found a way to make some key plays in high-leverage moments. Players you wouldn’t think of a top contributors stepped up in some key moments.

Kentucky showed off its defensive depth on Saturday at Kroger Field. KSR is taking a look at the three biggest plays from Saturday’s slugfest.

Sam Greene’s bull rush creates a big takeaway

Kentucky had a big need to fill at EDGE in the offseason. USC transfer Sam Greene became the program’s first addition from the transfer portal in December. The redshirt sophomore earned playing time last year in the Big Ten and flashed as a physical player who run with power and could be a real asset against the run. The pass rush needed development, but Green showed the ability to impact the game with a bull rush.

That showed up in the first game of the season. Greene’s pass rush win in the first quarter helped lead to the first takeaway of the season.

On a second-and-10, Greene gets under the pads of Toledo right tackle Cole Rhett and drives the second-year starter back into quarterback Tucker Gleason‘s lap. There isn’t any contact made with the quarterback but the pressure likely has something to do with the inaccurate throw. Veteran cornerback JQ Hardaway beats Toledo wide receiver Trayvon Rudolph to the spot for the game’s first big play.

Kentucky would take a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game just seven plays later. A young player not known for his pass rush helped flip this football game early.

Steven Soles Jr. helps create quick change stop

Following a goal-to-go stop by the Kentucky defense, Zach Calzada and the Kentucky offense took possession of the ball at their own two with 13:13 left in the second quarter. The Cats held a 7-0 lead just before disaster struck.

Calzada took a safety on a poor RPO read and gave the football right back to Toledo’s offense just one play after an 11-play drive by the Rockets. The road team had some real momentum for the first time in this football game after that play.

Kentucky’s defense quickly bowed up.

The Cats quickly forced a third-and-eight before sophomore Steven Soles Jr. produced his splash big play of the season.

The undersized outside linebacker beats Cole Rhett with an outside rush move where an inside shoulder dip helps Soles turn the corner. Once he’s at the top of the rush, Soles is able to get his hand on Tucker Gleason’s throwing arm and dislodges the football. Kentucky is unable to pounce on the loose ball, but this pass rush win creates a quick win for the defense when Toledo had a chance to flip the game.

Kentucky’s backup outside linebacker came up big on a huge third down.

Tavion Gadson creates a turnover on downs

Just one possession after taking a safety, Zach Calzada connected with tight end Willie Rodriguez for a 23-yard gain on second-and-seven to set up the Kentucky offense just outside the red zone. Unfortunately for the Cats, Toledo star safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren punched the football out and gave the Rockets the football back.

Toledo quickly advanced the football to midfield following a 13-yard completion from Tucker Gleason to tailback Chip Trayanum. Head coach Jason Candle would call the former Kentucky running back’s number again on fourth-and-short a few plays later.

Kentucky bowed up again. Backup defensive lineman Tavion Gadson shows up in a big moment.

The redshirt sophomore shoots the gap to replace the pulling right guard and fights through the center’s block. Sam Greene does a good job of knocking the playside tight end back at the same time. The lead fullback gets caught in no man’s land while Gadson strains to finish the play. That effort leads to a tackle for loss that gets the defense off the field.

Kentucky would add three points on the very next possession to take an eight-point lead. The Cats would never lead by less than eight for the rest of the game. Gadson’s effort play is a big reason why UK was able to keep Toledo at arm’s length.

We saw the defensive depth show up in big moments on Saturday. Sam Greene, Steven Soles Jr., and Tavion Gadson are each players with three years of eligibility remaining who will have key roles this season and in the future for this defense. Each looked the part on Saturday.