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Former Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance believes he has already made a noticeable impact with his new team. Since committing to Kentucky from the college basketball transfer portal, Quaintance believes his new team has the potential to boast an elite defense in 2025-2026.
Since landing in Lexington, Quaintance believes that he has already helped transform Mark Pope's team into one of the best defensive units in the country. The former five-star recruit sees the team's length and athleticism giving teams trouble in 2025-2026, he told reporters after an offseason practice session.
“I feel like we could be one of the best defensive teams in the country,” Quaintance said, via Kentucky Sports Radio. “We have a really long team. We're full of height and length on our team and everybody's buying in. We have people pushing full court and guarding full court. We have people in the backcourt in gaps, in help and in rotation. I feel like we have a really good chance to be great defensively.”
Quaintance was one of the best defensive players in the Big 12 as a freshman at Arizona State. He averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game in 24 outings, earning a spot on the conference's All-Defensive team at the end of the year.
Quaintance initially committed to Kentucky coming out of high school, but decommitted after John Calipari left for Arkansas. After spending one year with the Sun Devils, he opted to return to his original decision.
Jayden Quaintance joins Kentucky 2025-2026 basketball roster
Quaintance was one of four high-level transfers Kentucky obtained from the college basketball transfer portal. He joined Mouhamed Dioubate, Jaland Love and Denzel Aberdeen as top incoming veterans who should make an immediate impact.
The incoming transfers join a team that went 24-12 and made it to the Sweet Sixteen in Pope's first year at the helm. Although still not up to the program's traditional standards, it was the farthest Kentucky had advanced in the NCAA Tournament since qualifying for the Elite Eight in 2019.
The Wildcats get Otega Oweh back in 2025-2026, marking the first time they return their leading scorer since Oscar Tshiebwe concluded his career in Lexington in 2022-2023. With the offensive firepower of Oweh and Love combined with the defensive prowess of Quaintance and Dioubate, many expect Kentucky to be among the top preseason contenders.
