Jayden Quaintance, a former UK basketball signee with elite potential, is going to Arizona State

Of the six players who were set to join Kentucky basketball as part of John Calipari’s 2024 recruiting class, none had more upside than Jayden Quaintance, a 6-foot-9 center.

Quaintance, who isn’t eligible for the NBA draft until 2026, was set to be a two-year pickup for the Wildcats and boasts an outside-in offensive game that marries well with modern day basketball.

But following Calipari’s resignation as UK basketball coach, Quaintance was one of five players from that six-player recruiting class to decommit from the Wildcats.

Now, we know where Quaintance will begin his college basketball career. On Monday afternoon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Quaintance will be signing with Arizona State.

Quaintance was one of four players in Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting group that signed a national letter of intent to play at UK. He was released from that paperwork. Quaintance was also one of three UK recruits, along with guard Boogie Fland and small forward Karter Knox, to be named a 2024 McDonald’s All-American.

Only in-state guard Travis Perry, the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school boys basketball history, is expected to remain committed to UK and play for new Wildcats’ coach Mark Pope. Perry has confirmed his commitment to the Wildcats.

Quaintance was the second recruit to decommit from Kentucky after it became apparent Calipari was leaving his post after 15 seasons in Lexington to become the head coach at Arkansas.

Quaintance committed to Kentucky in November over Missouri, the only other finalist in his recruitment. Originally from Ohio, Quaintance closed his prep basketball career at Word of God Christian Academy. The Raleigh, North Carolina, school also produced UK one-and-done star John Wall.

The floor-spacing big man is ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite. This made Quaintance the highest-ranked recruit in UK’s 2024 class, before that group fell apart.

Quaintance, who is 16 and won’t turn 17 until July, reclassified from the 2025 to the 2024 recruiting group last summer.

During his reopened recruitment Quaintance fielded interest from Arizona State, Arkansas (under Calipari’s leadership), Kentucky (under Pope’s leadership), Louisville and Memphis.

Louisville was the first school that Quaintance visited after he decommitted from Kentucky.

MARK POPE BUILDS HIS FIRST KENTUCKY BASKETBALL ROSTER

First-year Kentucky head coach Mark Pope will be building his first UK basketball roster from scratch.

Aaron Bradshaw (Ohio State), Joey Hart (Ball State) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas) are players from the 2023-24 Kentucky squad that will transfer to new schools. Additionally, Jordan Burks, Adou Thiero, Ugonna Onyenso and D.J. Wagner are still in the NCAA transfer portal.

Thiero has a return to Kentucky among his final five options. The other schools on his list are Arkansas (where he’d rejoin Calipari), Indiana, North Carolina and Pittsburgh.

Also from last season’s team, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards and Reed Sheppard have declared for the 2024 NBA draft. Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves have exhausted their college eligibility.

So far, Pope has six players lined up to come to Lexington next season. These players are Collin Chandler (a combo guard and former BYU signee), Travis Perry (an in-state guard who committed to and signed with UK last fall), Otega Oweh (a guard who previously played two seasons at Oklahoma), Lamont Butler (a guard who previously played four seasons at San Diego State), Amari Williams (a former four-year forward at Drexel who committed to UK out of the transfer portal) and Andrew Carr (who previously played two seasons each at Delaware and Wake Forest).

Pope has also filled four of his five allotted assistant coach spots.

College basketball players (including graduate transfers) have until May 1 to enter the transfer portal. The early-entry deadline for the 2024 NBA draft was April 27, and players who enter the draft with remaining NCAA eligibility will have until May 29 to remove their names from consideration and return to school.

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