Jayden Quaintance is still a projected Top 10 pick ahead of Kentucky debut

Jayden Quaintance has yet to play a game as a college sophomore, but his NBA Draft stock is still high. Scouts won’t have to wait much longer to finally see him in action, either.

Quaintance is trending in the right direction as he recovers from the ACL tear he suffered back in the spring. The 6-foot-10 forward is a full-contact participant in practice right now, head coach Mark Pope saying Monday night that “we’re down to days and hours — maybe a week or so” in regards to Quaintance making his Kentucky debut. The Wildcats face St. John’s on Saturday before hosting Bellarmine next week.

Ahead of his upcoming debut, the folks over at ESPN released a fresh update to their 2026 NBA Draft Big Board Top 100 rankings. The usual suspects sit near the top: Darryn Peterson (Kansas), AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and Cameron Boozer (Duke) round out the top three in order. The rest of the top 10 is filled with nothing but college freshmen, except for one Wildcat…

ESPN has Quaintance tabbed as the 9th-best player on its 2026 Big Board.

Some of yall still don't realize what Jayden Quaintance brings to the table.pic.twitter.com/fbJV2gHVjE

— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) December 14, 2025

“Quaintance is nearing his return from a torn ACL suffered in February, and Kentucky will hope he gives it a shot in the arm amid a frustrating start to the season,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote. “He piqued interest with big-time defensive flashes at Arizona State last season (he averaged 2.6 blocks per game), showing off some of the best physical tools in the class. He appears well suited for a vertical spacing role in the NBA, as a lob threat who can run the floor and screen.

“Quaintance has limited ball skills and is undersized for a true 5-man; however, it creates uncertainty around exactly how his game will translate to the next level. He’ll likely play a major role upon returning, allowing him to solidify lottery status.”

Still only 18 years old, Quaintance is viewed as a defensive game-changer at the next level. He is expected to bring a similar impact to Kentucky once he’s ready to give it a go. The Arizona State transfer won’t be brought in to fix the offensive woes, but he should anchor what has already been a solid defensive unit for the ‘Cats this season.

Quaintance isn’t the only Kentucky player listed by ESPN, either — although you have to scroll far to reach the others. Checking in at 89th on ESPN’s Big Board is Otega Oweh, followed by Collin Chandler at 93rd. Oweh is no stranger to this type of Big Board, but he hasn’t been able to thrust his way into the top 50 in a while. He’s averaging 14 points and 4.2 rebounds per outing for UK this season. Meanwhile, Chandler is having a breakout sophomore season with per-game averages of 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 41.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.