Jayden Quaintance can be suiting up for Kentucky in spite of everything.
The previous Arizona State star dedicated to teach Mark Pope’s Wildcats on Tuesday, his father Haminn Quaintance confirmed to ESPN.
Quaintance, a projected 2026 NBA lottery decide, introduced final week that he was getting into the switch portal.
The 6-foot-9 ahead initially dedicated to Kentucky as a five-star recruit in 2024 earlier than backing off when coach John Calipari left to turn out to be the pinnacle coach at Arkansas.
“We all the time preferred Kentucky,” Haminn Quaintance informed ESPN. “… We have been all the time hoping they’d come again round and recruit him. It did not make sense for Coach Pope final time, attempting to tackle considered one of Cal’s guys, however this time it actually felt like he needed him to be there.”
Throughout his lone season in Tempe, Quaintance averaged 9.4 factors, 7.9 rebounds and a pair of.6 blocked pictures in 24 video games (all begins). He made the Large 12 All-Defensive and All-Freshman groups however the Solar Devils completed 13-20 (4-16).
Quaintance had surgical procedure to restore a torn ACL in his proper knee on March 19 however is predicted to be cleared for contact by September.
Quaintance graduated from highschool a 12 months early and was solely 16 when he arrived at Arizona State. He isn’t sufficiently old to be eligible for the 2025 NBA Draft as a result of he would not flip 19 till July 2026.
Kentucky has been lively within the switch portal. Along with Quaintance, Pope has acquired commitments from Jaland Lowe (Pitt), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama) and Kam Williams (Tulane).
–Area Stage Media
