MADE Here: Jayden Quaintance Commits to Kentucky

November 14, 2023 by Travis Graf

 THE LEAD

2024 five-star forward and MADE Hoops alum Jayden Quaintance has committed to Kentucky. He chose the Wildcats over his additional finalist, Missouri. Florida and Ohio State were also in the mix.

BACKGROUND

Quaintance reclassified to the 2024 class back in July. Having just turned 16 in July, his reclassification meant that he'd have to attend whatever route he chose for two years before entering his name into the NBA draft due to age limitations. He cut his list to four on November 6th, and that list consisted of Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, and Ohio State. On November 10th, he trimmed it once again to just two schools -- Kentucky and Missouri. He had officially visited both schools, with Missouri on September 21st and Kentucky on October 27th.

WHAT'S NEXT

Quaintance's commitment and signature gives Kentucky their fourth piece to their 2024 recruiting class during the early signing period. He joins five-star guard Boogie Fland, four-star big man Somto Cyril, and four-star guard Travis Perry. The current class is balanced but is in need of a sure fire impact addition in the backcourt and/or on the wing. Fland brings scoring to the table and has a lot of upside while possibly being a multi-year guy. Cyril brings rebounding and shot blocking in addition to strength. Perry is a Bluegrass State legend, as he's the state's all-times leading scorer already and will provide shooting and also operate as a perimeter connector.

Billy Richmond is a player that the Cats are looking to add to the class, and they're also in Karter Knox's final four. Darryn Peterson is a player who has been at the center of potential recalls talks for quite some time, and there's also been rumblings about the same situation for Jasper Johnson, a Kentucky native. Both prospects are top 10 in the 2025 class.

MY TAKE

This commitment is a big one for the Cats. MADE Hoops is a big believer in Jayden Quaintance, ranking him the highest out of the industry at No. 3 overall in the 2024 class. It's been awhile since John Calipari has landed a forward of this caliber and potential, and getting him for two years is an added bonus. Quaintance is a guy that you can run your offense through on the perimeter as a connector and a decision maker as he's a good passer, is developing his jump shot, and can put the ball on the deck. He's a player that you can do a lot of different things with based on matchups and projects as a lottery pick in time. It's a unique situation to project immediate college impact for a player who will just be turning 17 whenever he gets on campus, but Quaintance is 6'10", 240 pounds and has been playing against older and quality competition for a long time.