ESPN believes Jaland Lowe is Kentucky's "impact newcomer" for upcoming season

Jayden Quaintance is Kentucky’s projected lottery pick for the 2026 NBA Draft, but another Wildcat transfer could have a bigger impact on the team’s success next season.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello believes that player is Jaland Lowe, who transferred to UK after two seasons at Pitt, where he made the All-ACC Third Team as a sophomore. The 6-foot-2 Lowe is projected to be Kentucky’s starting point guard for 2025-26.

“Jayden Quaintance is the highest-ranked transfer arriving in Lexington, but there are questions about his availability after he suffered a torn ACL in late February,” Borzello wrote. “So, we’re going with Lowe, a third-team All-ACC selection at Pitt last season who will have to adjust his game in coach Mark Pope‘s offense. Surrounded by a slew of shooters, however, he’s likely to be more efficient.”

The talking point surrounding Lowe has been the shooting numbers from his time at Pitt. Across 64 games played for the Panthers, he shot just 38.1 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from beyond the arc. But he was asked to carry a heavy scoring load, particularly as a sophomore, that should lighten significantly at Kentucky. Lowe is a career 87.7 percent free-throw shooter, inspiring hope that he can bump up his three-point percentage.

Lowe is also a dangerous playmaker, something he hopes to showcase more in Lexington. The native of Texas averaged 5.5 assists per game in 2024-25. As Borzello mentioned, being surrounded by floor spacers and better overall talent should naturally help Lowe’s efficiency. Last season, Lowe ranked among the ACC’s top 10 players in percentage of possessions used (4th) and in percentage of shots taken (9th), per KenPom.

In the same ESPN article, Borzello also ranked Kentucky as his preseason No. 9 team going into 2025-26. Sitting ahead of the Wildcats are No. 1 Purdue, No. 2 Florida, No. 3 Houston, No. 4 UConn, No. 5 St. John’s, No. 6 BYU, No. 7 Louisville, and No. 8 Michigan. No. 10 Texas Tech, No. 11 Arkansas, and No. 12 Duke come in right behind UK.

Here is how Borzello sees Kentucky’s starting lineup shaking out (once Quaintance returns to full health, that is):

• Jaland Lowe
• Denzel Aberdeen
• Otega Oweh
• Mo Dioubate
• Jayden Quaintance

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