Wednesday Headlines: Jayden Quaintance Commits and Final College Basketball Rankings

Good morning, BBN!

A good morning it is, indeed! Yesterday’s news of Jayden Quaintance committing to the Kentucky Wildcats sent all of BBN into a frenzy.

As you remember, Quaintance committed to Kentucky on November 14th, 2023. However, once he learned Calipari wasn’t returning to Kentucky, he decommitted and took his talents to Arizona State.

Quaintance had an impressive Freshman season for the Sun Devils, averaging 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks a game.

Since NBA rules require players to turn 19 during the calendar year they are drafted, Quaintance isn’t eligible to turn pro until 2026. Among many Mock Drafts, he is ranked in the top 5-10 in the 2026 class.

It’s Mark Pope’s best recruit he’s ever landed, with Quaintance coming out as the #9 overall player in the 2023-24 class and now the #6 overall player in the transfer portal.

With that said, he just had ACL surgery at the beginning of March, but it’s been reported that he should be ready for contact at the end of September, setting him up to play next season.

This class is shaping up very nicely. It’ll be interesting to see who their last player will be.

The final AP poll for the 2024-25 season dropped after Florida won the championship Monday night. The Cats finished #12 overall there, while the final Coaches Poll had them at No. 14.

Mark Pope’s fantastic first season ends on a high note.

Tweet of the Day

Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance has committed to Kentucky.

Quaintance was orginally committed to Kentucky coming out of high school. pic.twitter.com/PZPJ43wVXB

— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) April 8, 2025