BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Nearly eight months after Jayden Quaintance tore his right ACL, Kentucky coach Mark Pope said Tuesday there is no chance the sophomore star will skip this season to rehab and prepare for the NBA.

The 6-foot-10 forward and Arizona State transfer is projected as the sixth pick in ESPN’s latest 2026 mock draft. Pope, a former NBA big man, said the team has been cautious with Quaintance’s rehab in part because of his future at the next level. But he also said he can’t imagine a scenario in which Quaintance won’t suit up for the Wildcats later this season.

“I’m not exactly sure how long of a wait it is, but I don’t think there is a chance we could keep him from playing this season,” Pope said at SEC media day. “He’s too talented. He’s worked too hard.”

Kentucky is ranked ninth in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll. Pope said the ranking made him happy because the team believes the program’s ninth national championship “is our future destiny.”

There was more good news Tuesday as Otega Oweh was named the SEC preseason player of the year, but Quaintance’s recovery could be the most important factor in the Wildcats’ pursuit of its ultimate goal.

Quaintance is a skilled big man and a physical force. During an exhibition against Duke last year, he arguably frustrated Wooden Award winner Cooper Flagg more than any other defender Flagg faced in the 2024-25 campaign. Quaintance scored 18 points in 26 minutes against Kansas State in his last game of the season before he suffered his injury.

According to teammates, Quaintance is eager to return, perhaps sooner rather than later if he’s allowed. Denzel Aberdeen, the Florida transfer who helped the Gators win the national title in April, said Quaintance has impressed his teammates with his work ethic.

“He’s working very hard to get back. He is always dribbling a basketball everywhere he goes,” Aberdeen said. “He’s been in and out of the treatment room doing what he has to do to get back, fast and quick. From 7 a.m., he doesn’t leave until about 6 or 7 p.m. He’s always happy and always cheering us on in practices, even though he knows he wants to get out there and compete. He’s going to be back real soon, and when he does, he’s going to be great.”

Pope would not say whether he had a definitive date for Quaintance (9.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG) to return this season, but he said staff members have been stunned by Quaintance’s progress in less than eight months. Pope expects him to be a major contributor to the program before he takes his talent to the next level.

“He is as unique an individual as I’ve ever had the privilege of recruiting, coaching — physically and mentally and emotionally,” Pope said. “So with him, he has been racing back to help at lightning speed. Right now, it’s remarkable what he’s doing. We’re all kind of shaking our heads like, ‘How is this humanly possible?’ He feels like he’s on the verge of being ready to go in. We’re just hitting the brakes full time right now to be sure because his future is going to be incredibly bright in this game.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu responded after President Donald Trump threatened to pull FIFA World Cup games out of the city next year. 

“Boston is honored and excited to host World Cup matches, and we look forward to welcoming fans from around the world to our beautiful city, the cradle of liberty and city of champions,” she said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.

Boston is currently set to host seven matches when the World Cup comes to North America next summer. The slate includes five group-stage games, one Round of 32 fixture and the first quarterfinal on July 9.

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Trump made the suggestion that he would have games moved out of Boston while speaking to reporters on Tuesday while discussing an incident that happened in the city this week when a group of people took over one of the city’s streets in a violent display. 

According to the Boston Police Department, over 100 people were involved in the takeover that involved street racing just after 2 a.m. on Oct. 5. Officers found people trying to attack police cruisers with fireworks, cones, poles and other items. One police cruiser was destroyed by flames and needed to be towed away from the area, officials said.

BLUE CITY STREET TAKEOVER SUSPECTS TORCHED POLICE CRUISER IN ‘HELL-BENT’ ATTACK ON COPS: UNION CHIEF

“We can take them away. I love the people of Boston. And I know the games are sold out, but the mayor is not good. There are worse than her. At least she’s intelligent. You know, some are extremely low IQ. Those bother me more. She’s intelligent, but she’s radical left,” Trump said. 

Trump added he would call FIFA President Gianni Infantino to have the games moved.

“The answer is yes, if somebody’s doing a bad job, and if I feel there’s unsafe conditions, I would call Gianni, the head of FIFA, who’s phenomenal, and I would say, ‘Let’s move it to another location,’ and he would do that. He wouldn’t love to do it, but he’d do it, very easily he’d do it. And this is the right time to do it.” 

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey addressed the violent incident in Boston on Tuesday. 

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(Left) U.S. President Donald Trump holds the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office. Trump announced the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw will take place at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 22, 2025. (Right) Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Aug. 28, 2025. (Getty Images)

“I’m committed to doing everything I can to get after this issue,” Healey said. “That’s my message today: No more.

“Not going to happen here. And if you do it, you’re going to be punished. I’m serious.”

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NEW YORK — Mika Zibanejad was at a loss for words after he and the New York Rangers made history Tuesday night by becoming the first team in NHL history to get shut out in each of its first three home games of the season.

“I don’t know whether to laugh or cry,” Zibanejad said after a 2-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. “I honestly don’t know.”

The Rangers’ 180-minute drought at Madison Square Garden is the second longest to start a season at home, behind only the now-defunct Pittsburgh Pirates in 1928. They went the first 187:19 without a goal at Duquesne Gardens before Hib Milks scored. The Pirates’ streak was longer because of overtime.

The previous longest in the modern era among teams that still exist was 155:17 by the Florida Panthers in 2001.

“This is a unique start to a season,” captain J.T. Miller said. “It sucks that we had a couple games where we feel like we’ve really thrown a lot at the other team and we’re not getting rewarded.”

Artemi Panarin had an early chance all alone in front against Edmonton that was stopped by Stuart Skinner. Will Cuylle also got the puck on net after an Oilers turnover only to be turned aside, and fourth-liners Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe had quality opportunities on the edge of the crease.

“We can all go home and sleep well knowing we played another good home game,” Miller said. “We’re competitors. We want to win. We’d love to see the puck go in the net. Right now, it’s not.”

Sam Carrick almost scored with 2:31 left, but Skinner flashed his glove to make the save.

None of those shots made it over the goal line, and a couple of other attempts rang off the crossbar and out.

“We have two crossbars that go crossbar or post that goes right by the goal line,” Zibanejad said. “I think we’re creating lots of chances. I think there’s enough high-danger chances that we’re creating, but we’re not scoring. Simple.”

The Rangers have failed to score on their first 90 shots on goal at home, and fans booed at one point when they came up empty on consecutive power plays.

“You’re dying to give the fans a reason to cheer,” Carrick said. “They support us every night hugely here. Obviously they want to come and see goals. That’s the frustrating part.”

They will have to wait nearly a week for their next game on home ice. New York goes on the road for games at Toronto and Montreal before returning to host Minnesota on Monday night. Every player who spoke after the Oilers game had the same train of thought about not abandoning the structure that contributed to winning twice on the road and being competitive.

“It’s on us to make sure that the mindset stays the same in here and we don’t go off the grid to find something,” Miller said. “We need to stay the course. Over time, results will come.”