Arizona State forward Quaintance commits to Kentucky
Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance has committed to Kentucky, his father told ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
Quaintance, the No. 17 prospect in the 2024 ESPN 100, originally committed to Kentucky last year but re-opened his recruitment after Wildcats head coach John Calipari joined Arkansas.
"We always liked Kentucky," Haminn Quaintance said. "He was committed there before John Calipari left for Arkansas, which is the reason we ended up at Arizona State. We were always hoping they'd come back around and recruit him. It didn't make sense for Coach Pope last time, trying to take on one of Cal's guys, but this time it really felt like he wanted him to be there."
Quaintance favored Kentucky over multiple other schools, including Auburn and Kansas.
In his freshman season, he averaged 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks for Arizona State. The 6-foot-9 forward was selected to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams.
Quaintance was the youngest player in college basketball last season, as the 17-year-old graduated high school early. He tore his ACL during a game in February and is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
Quaintance is projected to be a top selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Wildcats went 24-12 in Mark Pope's first season as head coach. They lost to Tennessee in the Sweet 16.