Former Arizona State Center Included in 2026 NBA Mock Draft

Arizona State basketball is moving forward into the 2025-26 season with an almost entirely new roster heading into year 11 of the Bobby Hurley era.

The Sun Devils experienced a wildly disappointing 13-20 final output in the 24-25 season behind injuries, roster fit issues, and a lack of depth within the roster - the 13 wins proved to be the lowest total of the Hurley era to this point.

Part of the collateral damage of the season was Jayden Quaintance - the highest rated recruit in the history of Arizona State basketball opted to transfer to the University of Kentucky to play his sophomore season under Mark Pope.

Quaintance was originally committed to play for the Wildcats prior to John Calipari's exit from the program - he wound up back in Lexington regardless.

CBS Sports analyst Adam Finkelstein curated a 2026 mock draft based around lottery selections - Quaintance making the move to Kentucky could be incredibly beneficial to his draft stock, as he was slotted to the Toronto Raptors at pick number seven.

More from Finkelstein below:

"Quaintance reclassified up to head to college a year early last year, even though it meant that he would be too young to be eligible for the NBA Draft. He went on to average 9 points and 8 rebounds per game for Arizona State, while also recording 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. While his athleticism, nearly 7-foot-5 wingspan, powerful frame and offensive tools are intriguing, it was those defensive instincts that were glaring."

"If we see those offensive tools turn into more consistent production this year at Kentucky, especially beyond the finishing he's already proven, he should be one of the very top frontcourt names in the field."

Quaintance is a wildly talented player that showcased an incredible presence as an all-around defender and flashed brilliance on the offensive side of the ball prior to suffering a partially torn ACL that ended his season.

The upcoming sophomore will likely be in a stronger position to succeed with the Kentucky program and becomes one of the most glaring 'what if' scenarios of the Hurley era - Quaintance, Joson Sanon, and Amier Ali could have been a special trio in Sun Devil history.

Read more about AD Graham Rossini's confidence in Hurley here, and projecting Quaintance's season at Kentucky here.

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