Five-Star Plus+ C Jayden Quaintance names final 2 schools

Jayden Quaintance, the top-ranked center and one of the best prospects in the 2024 class, is down to two schools: Kentucky and Missouri.

He previously considered Ohio State and Florida.

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Quaintance is the No. 4 overall player in the country, according to On3’s Top-150 Player Rankings.

Quaintance, out of Word of God (N.C.) was originally a part of the 2025 class, before reclassifying to the 2024 class. The 16-year-old will be required to do two years of college before being eligible for the NBA Draft in 2026.

Quaintance talks finalists

In a previous interview with On3, Jayden Quaintance broke down each of his final four schools.

Kentucky: “They have had a lot of success with previous draft picks. They’ve had guard success, but they’ve had good success with bigs, a lot more than other colleges. Coach (John) Calipari has been showing a lot of love, and Coach Chin (Coleman), too. Coach Cal has already come to Word of God twice to see me. We’ve been able to build a good relationship.

Missouri: “I learned a lot about their nutrition. How they fuel the body and get their players ready and prepared to work. I was impressed by how much they had, personal chefs and everything. They pay a lot of attention to nutrition. I’ve built a great relationship with Coach (Dennis) Gates. He has been the main one recruiting me; we talk all the time, and we’ve built a really good relationship. My dad’s roommate at Kent State is Dennis Gates’ brother. His brother (Armon Gates) is now a coach at Oklahoma. My favorite part about Missouri though is the freedom they give their players. They let you bring the ball up, and they let you do whatever you show in practice you can do.”

What he’s looking for in a school

“Freedom in the playing style is the big thing for me. Getting minutes early, trusting me out on the floor and in the offense, giving me a chance to flourish and a chance to develop. I have good relationships with all the coaches, so I won’t really be choosing off that. My decision has got to be about business and what situation gives me the best chance. It’s great to have a good relationship with your coaches, and I have that with all these coaches. But, it all has to make sense from a basketball standpoint.”

Scouting Report

“The physical nature of Jayden Quaintance’s presence is what pops immediately. Listed at 6-foot-10, he has long arms and a very strong frame. He moves very well for a player his size. He can open his hips and has no problem sliding his feet. A good rebounder, in and out of his area. He plays tough, and he plays with confidence. He tries to dunk everything within 10 feet. Establishes good position. Very explosive. Can put the ball on the floor, like to see him tighten the handle. Can knock down a jump shot, but would like to see him tighten up the mechanics and the footwork. He is very young for his grade, will graduate at 16. Started for USA Basketball 16U. Quaintance’s dad, Hamin Quaintance graduated from Kent State. He scored over 1,350 career points and 904 rebounds.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw