Since their Sweet Sixteen loss to rival Tennessee, the Kentucky Wildcats have aggressively pursued talent in the transfer portal. Head coach Mark Pope has been working nonstop to rebuild a roster that’s set to lose several key players at the end of the season.
There’s even speculation that comments made by Williams before the game may have backfired and motivated Tennessee.
“It’s cute when a team that hasn’t beaten us in forever tries to act tough… We’re not concerned. Let them do what they want,” Williams said to reporters.
Pope and his staff have landed a major addition by securing a commitment from Jayden Quaintance. This is Quaintance’s second time committing to Kentucky, but this time it looks like he’ll officially sign his National Letter of Intent.
“Quaintance originally decommitted from Kentucky a year ago after John Calipari left for Arkansas,” Jonathan Givony noted.
According to Quaintance’s father, the family always hoped Kentucky would come calling again.
“We were always fond of Kentucky. He committed there before Calipari left, and that’s what led us to Arizona State. We kept hoping Coach Pope might give him another look. It didn’t make sense for him at the time to take on one of Cal’s recruits, but now it really seems like he wants him there,” he told ESPN.
While this is a huge win for the Wildcats, it may come with a hefty price tag.
“He’ll likely seek a big NIL deal—possibly over $2 million—which could present a challenge for Kentucky, especially after missing on another high-profile big man,” wrote Jason Marcum.
Quaintance is still recovering from an ACL injury, so such a large payday might be risky. Nonetheless, Kentucky badly needed a strong presence in the paint—and now they have one.