Jayden Quaintance is a projected lottery pick for the 2026 NBA draft, and as such, colleges were after his services. He had originally committed to the Wildcats but requested a release from his letter of intent when Calipari left the program.
Quaintance has now committed to Kentucky again and will play next season under Mark Pope and his coaching staff.
Why Did Jayde Quaintance Withdraw His Letter of Intent?
Jayden Quaintance committed to Kentucky in 2023 but asked to be released from his letter of intent after the coaching change. He then joined Arizona State.
“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 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, Jayden’s father, Haminn Quaintance, said.
NEWS: ASU transfer Jayden Quaintance, a projected top-5 pick in 2026, has committed to Mark Pope and Kentucky, his father Haminn, told ESPN.
Quaintance decommitted from Kentucky precisely a year ago after John Calipari left for Arkansas.
STORY: https://t.co/BXza2vhqzX pic.twitter.com/woe1gvYD6T
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 8, 2025
But it seems Pope has presented a new plan to the Quaintances. Jayden has now decided to play under Pope despite offers from USC, Kansas, Auburn, Ohio State, and others.
“Kentucky presented us with a very detailed plan for how they plan on bringing Jayden back with the trainers and how they want to use him once he’s healthy,” Haminn Quaintance said. “The way that they use their big men as offensive hubs, he really fits into that system.
“Jayden didn’t want to go somewhere where he’d just be a screener. Coach Pope made him feel really good. They went really deep on the analytics, going into things most coaches don’t even think of.”
Quaintance’s Career So Far
Quaintance was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class. During his senior year, he was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Game. In his sole year at Arizona State, he was the youngest college basketball player.
Quaintance could have entered this year’s draft, but his age rendered him ineligible per NBA rules. He entered college as a 16-year-old, having graduated high school a year early. He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams, becoming only the fifth player in conference history to earn such recognition.
KEEP READING: 2025 Men’s College Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
Quaintance averaged 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks in 29 minutes per game. He is the fourth player Kentucky has picked from the transfer portal, following Kamila Williams from Tulane, Jaland Lowe from Pittsburgh, and Mouhamed Dioubate from Alabama.
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