Jayden Quaintance labeled as game changer for Kentucky by CBB Insider

Kentucky either brought back or brought in several key pieces for next season’s roster. None, though, could be as important, for the Wildcats, in the SEC, or even in the NCAA, than Jayden Quaintance.

In a preview of the Southeastern Conference for ‘Inside College Basketball Now’ on Monday, Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports noted Quaintance as one of his three big things going into tip-off for the league next season. He called him a wild card and a game changer that could be the difference in if Kentucky can be a national title-level team.

“To me, the real wildcard, the real guy that can change things for Kentucky this season is Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance,” said Rothstein.

“I think, if you’re looking for a wild card, a player that could change Kentucky, a program that hopes every single year to go to a Final Four and have a chance to win a national championship? That player is Jayden Quaintance.”

Quaintance, originally reclassified and committed to UK under John Calipari coming out of high school, ended up at Arizona State after the coaching change last offseason. He’d go on to, as a seventeen year old, post 9.4 points (52.5% FG), 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game last season as a freshman for the Sun Devils in being named Big 12 All-Defense. After that year in Tempe, Quaintance would then transfer as a top-five player in the portal per On3 and, with that, did make it to Lexington in the end.

For Rothstein, this was all based defensively. He thinks Quaintance has the skill set to make the case as a Defensive Player of the Year, whether in conference or nationally, which would be a major plus considering the issues that the Wildcats had on that side of the court at times a year ago.

“Watching this kid last year when he was at Arizona State, watching his timing on defense, watching his ability to read opposing offenses? If he’s healthy, Jayden Quaintance, in my opinion, has a legitimate chance to be in the discussion to potentially be a National Defensive Player of the Year candidate,” said Rothstein. “That is what you’re looking at when you’re looking at Jayden Quaintance because I look at the other elements of Kentucky’s lineup and I love what I see.”

However, there is one notable holdup in this as Quaintance is coming off of a torn ACL in February which he had surgery on in March. That has him restricted as the program goes through summer workouts into the fall and has when his debut will be in question.

“Jayden Quaintance is coming off an ACL injury. I’ve talked about this with Mark Pope on this podcast. I’ve talked about this with Mark Pope off this podcast. When you try to figure out when Jayden Quaintance is going to return to the court, there is still no firm timetable. There is still no answer,” Rothstein noted. “Kentucky has said repeatedly that they hope to get Quaintance back for the start of the season but, taping this right now on July 14th, nobody knows.”

Still, if healthy, Quaintance is one of the top young prospects in college basketball who’s already one of the better defenders in the sport, which already has him mocked as a lottery selection for the 2026 NBA Draft. That, paired with what all else they have in the lineup in the bluegrass, could now go on to be the player that can take Kentucky back to a Final Four or more.

“A game changer defensively if he’s healthy. A National Defensive Player of the Year candidate if he’s healthy,” said Rothstein. “I think you can make the case Kentucky has just about everything else…Make no mistake about it. The guy that can change things for Kentucky in ’25-’26 is Jayden Quaintance.”