The majority of college freshmen struggle to stand out early in their NCAA basketball careers. The transition from high school to college is significant in terms of speed and physicality; most 18-year-olds struggle to contend, at least early on. On rare occasions, extremely young players can pop right away.
Jayden Quaintance, Arizona State’s new five-star freshman, turned 17 years old in July. He’ll be 17 throughout his first college season, rendering him ineligible for the 2025 draft. It’s a similar situation to former Alabama guard Kira Lewis, who entered college basketball too young to leave for the pros after one year.
Most high-profile freshmen leave for the NBA after one season in college. That would almost certainly be the case for Quaintance if he was eligible. His offense is extremely raw (making his extended stay in college a possible benefit) but his defensive potential will tantalize NBA teams.
Jayden Quaintance’s impressive defensive start
Quaintance has played 26 minutes per game across his first three college outings, producing at a high level on defense. He’s totaled an absurd 12 blocks and three steals during his first three games. That’s good for a (most likely unsustainable) 16.8% block rate and a 2.2% steal rate.
At 6’10, Quaintance boasts a rare combination of movement skills and explosion, fueling his defensive success. He blocked six shots in his college debut, showcasing the kind of perimeter versatility and mobility that gets bigs drafted high:
jayden quaintance put up eight stocks in his college debut, the movement skills, explosion and contortion are all frightening
oh yeah he turns 18 next july, crazy flashes pic.twitter.com/2Nh7mbwZoX
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 6, 2024
Quaintance is clearly still growing into his body and learning how to best position himself. His ability to maintain this kind of defensive impact despite his shortcomings is encouraging. He’ll wreck entire defensive possesions by himself even as a developing technical defender. His potential to guard high in the pick and roll could let him operate in a myriad of different coverages at the NBA level one day.
jayden quaintance takes over possessions on the defensive end despite clear rawness in his footwork and positioning. his potential versatility fuels scary defensive upside pic.twitter.com/xSdBjExOBg
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 11, 2024
Quaintance will need offensive development
Atop the 2026 NBA draft, there’s a strong chance Quaintance ends up as a high pick on his defensive merit. It’s worth noting his offensive limitations, as Quaintance will require significant development to impact the game on that end of the floor. He hasn’t been a notable contributor on offense so far, averaging 5.3 points per game on a 42.7% true shooting clip.
In high school and AAU, Quaintance leveraged his athletic gifts to overwhelm defenders to the rim. Some of the flashes of ball-handling fluidity suggested real perimeter offensive upside. But his lack of ball control and footwork precision makes attacking college athletes a much larger challenge.
His decision-making hasn’t been stellar either (0.7 assist-to-turnover ratio). Regardless of Quaintance’s struggles, he’s been allowed to play through them and make mistakes thus far. Quaintance’s drives and creation reps won’t look pretty at the moment, but these live game opportunities will be critical for his development.
Scouts may not pay as much attention to Quaintance this season because of his draft eligibility status. But his development will be as fascinating to track as any prospect in the country. His physical gifts and glimpses of defensive greatness could lead him to a successful college and eventual NBA career with the right development.
