Jayden Quaintance Arrives on Campus at Kentucky

Jayden Quaintance was the only Kentucky transfer not to take his official visit last month, while he was rehabbing from his ACL injury. Well, now he’s in Lexington, combining his official visit with his move-in.

Quaintance, the 6-foot-10, 225-pound center, arrived on campus Wednesday, sources told KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. Quaintance is combining his official visit with his move-in, becoming the first UK player to move in this summer.

Pilgrim reports that the entire Kentucky team is expected to be moved in by the weekend of June 6 ahead of camp season. Quaintance’s early move-in is a way that he can get started early with rehab.

Jayden Quaintance has arrived in Lexington. Here is at with Mark & Lee Anne Pope at Jeff Ruby's. pic.twitter.com/hHTLbSID2r

— Rare Rookies #BBN (@rarerookies) May 22, 2025

‘Race to Get Back’

Hopes are high for Jayden Quaintance, a former McDonald’s All-American, who earned Big 12 All-Freshman Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors in 2024-25, while also being named to the Naismith National Defensive Player of the Year Watch List in early February. Now, the hope is that he’ll be ready by the start of the season.

Quaintance averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game as a freshman in 2024-25. He underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee in March.

“We’ll see,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said of Quaintance being ready for the start of the season — namely against Louisville on Nov. 11. “The one thing I know about him, he’s an incredible talent and we’re going to go as fast as we can with the absolute most caution that we can. He’s working really hard. He’s making tremendous progress right now. … We’re gonna race back to 100 percent health as fast as we can.”

Kentucky Men’s Basketball 2025-26 Roster Tracker

COMMITS (8)

• Kam Williams – G – Tulane – 9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 48.5% FG, 41.2% 3PT | Committed 3/28
• Jaland Lowe – G – Pittsburgh – 16.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, 37.6% FG, 26.6% 3PT | Committed 4/5
• Mouhamed Dioubate – F – Alabama – 7.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 61.7% FG, 46.2% 3PT | Committed 4/7
• Jayden Quaintance – F – Arizona State – 9.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 52.5 FG% | Committed 4/8
• Andrija Jelavic – C – Mega Basket — 10.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 50.3% FG, 32.3% 3PT | – Committed 4/12
• Denzel Aberdeen – G – Florida – 7.7 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 41.8 FG%, 35 3PT% | Committed 4/21
• Reece Potter – C – Miami (OH) — 6.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 APG, 46.6 FG%, 36.7 3PT% | Committed 5/5
• Braydon Hawthorne – SF – Huntington Prep (WV) – 4-star, No. 35 overall | Committed 5/20

RETURNING / INCOMING (6)

• Otega Oweh – G – Rising Senior – 16.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 49.2% FG, 35.5% 3PT | Going through NBA Draft process
• Brandon Garrison – C – Rising Junior – 5.9 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 50.9% | Confirmed return on 4/12
• Collin Chandler – C- Rising Sophomore – 2.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.7 APG, 36.1% FG, 34.7% 3PT | Confirmed return on 4/17
• Trent Noah – F – Rising Sophomore – 2.7 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 0.4 APG, 45.1% FG, 33.3% 3PT | Confirmed return on 4/18
• Malachi Moreno – C – Incoming Freshman – Great Crossing (Georgetown, KY)
• Jasper Johnson – SG – Incoming Freshman – Overtime Elite (Lexington, KY)