Some really interesting comparisons for Kentucky’s new big man.
The Kentucky Wildcats’ new big man, Jayden Quaintance, is drawing some interesting comparisons.
NBA Draft analyst @mcfdraft called Quaintance a “unicorn talent,” saying he’s one of the best defensive prospects he’s evaluated, joining the likes of Dereck Lively II, Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel, Walker Kessler, and Karl Anthony-Towns.
For Kentucky fans curious about Jayden Quaintance in short: he is a unicorn talent.
At just 17 years old (!), he’s one of the best defensive prospects I’ve ever evaluated — he sits at the table with some of the best underclassmen defensive prospects over the years.
Get hyped. https://t.co/76g20xWQfW pic.twitter.com/AjRwIpsqXO
— Mohamed (@mcfdraft) April 8, 2025
That’s a pretty good group to be mentioned in for Kentucky’s new big man, with a couple of those names being defensive stars in Lexington.
Quaintance put together some really strong defensive numbers in his freshman season at Arizona State at just 17 years old. He averaged 2.6 blocks and just over 1 steal per game. That included 8 games where he had 4+ blocks.
Playing his freshman season at just 17 years old, it’s probably a good bet to think Quaintance is really just scratching the surface of what he’s capable of.
Kentucky needed to improve its interior defense, and if Quaintance recovers well from his injury, he certainly provides a big boost in that area and can be a real difference-maker.