LEXINGTON, Ky. — Friday evening Kentucky Men's Basketball announced Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance officially signed to join the Wildcats.
“Jayden is a 17-year-old phenom who is as explosive as he is skilled, and he is just scratching the surface of what he’s going to become in this game,” Mark Pope said. “He’s an incredibly bright kid who is already postering anyone in Big Blue Nation in a game of chess and he and his family couldn’t be more excited to finally get to wear the Blue and White.”
#BBN, meet @qjayhoops!
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) April 11, 2025
📰🔗 - https://t.co/66UhDDPw4d pic.twitter.com/qhqrH5lV2c
***ORIGINAL STORY POSTED APRIL 8, 2025***
Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance has committed to Kentucky, his father tells ESPN's Johnathan Givony.
Quaintance was originally committed to Kentucky as part of the 2025 class but flipped to Arizona State after the departure of John Calipari. In his freshman season, he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks as one of the youngest players in the country. At just 17 years old, he was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive team.
Despite enrolling at Arizona State at 16 years old, Jayden Quaintance was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 8, 2025
The projected top-5 pick is an elite shot-blocker, a strong passer, skilled creating his own shot or finishing out of PNR, and has a 7'5 wingspan https://t.co/JC5rICVNwq pic.twitter.com/tgnuOf5bQs
Quaintance is recovering from ACL surgery after injuring his knee in late February, but he remains one of the top transfer portal players and a projected top-5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to ESPN. He is not eligible for this year's draft because of his age.
The news comes one day after Alabama transfer forward Mouhamed Dioubate also committed to the Wildcats.
