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2024 Jayden Quaintance Updates Recruitment With KY Insider

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One of the top players in the class of 2024, Top-10 prospect Jayden Quaintance recently reclassified, and has shown why here lately. All of the physical tools you want in a big man, he is very impressive with his size and physicality.

KY Insider was on hand this weekend at the MADE Hoops High School Academy to catch Quaintance in action, where he shined all weekend. In other words, he was nearly unstoppable with his overwhelming size and strength compared to the others. He did whatever he wanted, getting to the rim at will, and making his big presence known on defense.

Quaintance took the time to speak with KY Insider to discuss the latest in his recruitment after recently reclassifying to 2024.

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How has the move to 2024 been for you?

“I’ve been playing up (17U division) all summer anyway, so I feel like I’ve been holding my ground and I’ve been doing pretty well, so I feel like it’s a good tool to get to college a little quicker.”

Your one of the top players in your class. Tell me about your game.

“I play fast, I’m really versatile, more versatile than a lot of people my size.” He later expanded more on his game: “I feel like I bring a lot defensively, offensively I can score inside and out. I can handle the ball better than a lot of people realize. I can do a lot of different things on offense and defense.

Who are the schools showing you the most interest?

“Cincinnati, Washington, Ohio State, and Kentucky.”

What’s your relationship like with those schools?

“Those are coaches that I’m able to talk to on the phone. I’ve visited all of them but Washington, but we’ve got a visit set up for there. Yeah, just talking to the coaches and getting to know them.”

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Could you tell me more about your relationship with Kentucky?

“When I went up to Kentucky for an official visit, I got to talk to Coach Cal, see a practice, see what the environment was like there, walked around the campus, see what the main gym looked like, the atmosphere. It was cool.”

Can you tell me about your dreams of playing in the NBA?

“I wanna be the best player that I can be. I feel like I can be a NBA All-Star. I put my everything into getting better, and being the best player that I can be.”

Do you have any more visits you’re looking to take?

“I’m doing an official (visit) to Ohio State, Cincinnati, Washington, but I don’t think we have Kentucky set yet.

When are you looking to take those visits?

“September and October.”

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What’s Kentucky’s pitch to you right now?

“They like how I play fast, and how I’m a lot more quicker on my feet than a lot of bigs. They like that, they would use me at a position to utilize that, my quickness.”

How often do you talk with Kentucky? Daily?

“Nah, I’m only allowed to talk to every coach, like, they’re only allowed to talk like once a week-ish. Coach said I could call him anytime if I want to talk to him, he said he’s not the type to blow up my phone, so he’s always available if I wanna talk to him. But, nah, the communication is good.”

Is there an important factor in your recruitment?

“Just knowing they’ll put trust in me, let me rock out and show what I can do, show my versatility and my skills, and make sure it’s just the right fit, coaching style is good, environment is good.”

Quaintance made sure people are paying attention to him as one of the top players in 2024. His physical tools are all there, and his size and physicality was on full display throughout the weekend, dominating his competition.

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Check out some highlight’s of him from MADE Hoops HSA below.

BB Recruiting

International Prospect Zvonimir Ivisic Now a “Long Shot” to Play at Kentucky

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Zvonimir Ivisic playing for SC Derby.
Instagram/Zvonimir Ivisic

When Ivisic originally committed to UK on August 1st, there was plenty of excitement around the program for the 7-foot Croatian to be a key piece on this year’s team.

Ever since then though, it’s only gone downhill as every single day we are hearing less good things about Ivisic’s situation. This is reportedly because of an English equivalency exam, so he still has not been accepted into the university’s admissions.

While the optimism was still he would end up on the team, a lot of the believer’s hopes took a big hit when 247Sports national recruiting analyst Travis Branham had an appearance on KSR’s Sources Say podcast.

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Branham had a tough quote saying, “To be honest, I’m not banking on him being on this roster next year. I think it’s a very longshot bet”. Hearing this from a person as connected to recruiting as Branham is very concerning.

He goes on to talk about how it’s not very cut and dry on why he wouldn’t end up at Kentucky calling it a “Hail Mary” that Kentucky would have to connect on to even get the Croatian admitted to Kentucky.

Ivisic is projected as a potential first-rounder in the 2024 NBA draft and averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks for Croatia at the FIBA U20 European Championships in Greece in July.

The 7-footer’s skills would be a big help to this year’s Kentucky basketball team with the injury of Aaron Bradshaw this offseason, the depth in the frontcourt is much needed for the Wildcats right now.

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If they are unable to figure out this situation and get him in a Kentucky jersey this upcoming season, it will be a huge mistake by UK admissions.

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BB Recruiting

Top Kentucky Target Tre Johnson Pushes Decision Date To Spring

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UK Athletics

One of the top players in the class of 2024, Tre Johnson recently made the move to Link Academy in search of high-level competition on a big stage, which is a reason he says is why he will wait until the Spring before making a decision.

The top five guard possesses all of the scoring tools, and is a player that Kentucky really wants. He still has a few visits to take, with Alabama and Arkansas visits coming soon, plus another visit to Kansas, and another visit to Baylor. Johnson previously visited Kentucky back in late January.

Johnson has a final list of Kentucky, Baylor, Texas, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, and pro options. The Wildcats are rumored to be a top-three option long with Baylor and Texas. This delay may give Kentucky a better chance. With that said, he is not in a big rush to decide, as he is more focused on getting acclimated to his new home at Link Academy, as well as improving as a player.

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Tre Johnson is one of the best pure scorers in all of high school basketball, and is certainly being prioritized by multiple top schools. Current intel suggests that Baylor and Kentucky are the top contenders, but with him pushing back his decision, there is more time to tell.

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Multiple Five-Star Recruits Schedule Visits to Kentucky

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Top Ranked Recruits Darius Acuff, Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond, and Caleb Wilson have scheduled visits to Kentucky.
Yahoo Sports (Acuff)/The Black Cager (Richmond)/Pangos All America (Fland)

Now that the Grassroots AAU season is over, recruits from across the country are scheduling visits. Kentucky has picked up some scheduled visits for the fall, with a couple of Big Blue Madness visits already in order.

Boogie Fland

The top guard in 2024, Fland is now starting to set up his visits, as he has really taken his recruitment slow. He will take a visit to Kentucky on September 8th, while also taking visits to Michigan, Alabama, and UNC later in September, he told On3’s Joe Tipton.

He’s taking his recruitment slow, so there’s not much movement with momentum, but recent intel suggests Alabama, UConn, and Michigan seem to be the presumed leaders currently. Kentucky is making a strong push, so keep in mind he still has visits to take.

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Caleb Wilson

A Top-5 player in 2025, Wilson is really into the Blue Bloods, with Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina all heavily involved. He will be taking a visit to Kentucky for Big Blue Madness on October 14th, he told Travis Graf of MADE Hoops.

Wilson is starting to ramp up his recruitment, with scheduling additional visits to Tennessee and Alabama as well in the near future.

Billy Richmond

Richmond is a Top-35 player in the class of 2025, and recently released his Top-8 schools, while also scheduling a handful of upcoming visits, and he will take on to Kentucky on September 15th.

He will also be visiting Memphis, LSU, Kansas, and Alabama in the near future. His Top-8 schools list includes Kentucky, Memphis, Louisville, Alabama, Kansas, LSU, Miami, and Texas.

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Kentucky seems to be the favorite in this recruitment, with Memphis and Louisville lurking behind.

Darius Acuff

One of the biggest stock-risers in 2025, Acuff is the top-ranked point guard in the class, and now is beginning to set up visits. He will take a visit to Kentucky on October 14th for Big Blue Madness.

No other visits have been set up yet besides one to Michigan in the near future, but back in July at Peach Jam, Acuff told KY Insider that Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Houston, and Pitt, among others, were schools he is looking to visit in the fall.

Kentucky, Indiana, Houston, Michigan, and Michigan State are among those recruiting him the hardest, he told KY Insider in July at Peach Jam.

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Fall visits are starting to be scheduled for the near future among many of the top recruits in the country, and Kentucky is beginning to get some of those, and plenty more will be scheduled soon.

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