Mark Pope has reached out to a former Kentucky signee in the transfer portal

Kentucky's list of targets in the transfer portal is growing by the day, and there's a new name to look out for now, as Kentucky reached out to former signee and Arizona State transfer big man Jayden Quaintance on Monday, according to KSR's Jacob Polacheck. A familiar name for fans, but not for Mark Pope. The head coach must like what he sees.

Quaintance is set to have a Zoom call with the Kentucky staff sometime on Monday to further talk over things. As Kentucky is currently shaping up their backcourt, it's the frontcourt that is yet to receive a commitment from the portal. With Malachi Moreno coming in and Brandon Garrison returning, the frontcourt seems to need an experienced forward to go along with that, one that is very physical, and Quaintance is that. His ability to muscle around down low and his defensive instincts would definitely give a boost to a frontcourt that looks thin at the moment with Amari Williams and Andrew Carr departing.

Diving into the numbers, last season at Arizona State, Quaintance averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists, shooting 52.5 percent overall. His 2.6 blocks per game on the defensive end is what should intrigue Kentucky fans, as his physicality and presence is something Kentucky needs to find in the transfer portal. Kentucky is doing well shaping up an impressive backcourt, but the frontcourt has needs that the staff is looking to fill. The 6-9 forward's best game last season was against UCF, where he posted 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks and an assist.

Quaintance de-committed from Kentucky last offseason following the departure of John Calipari, but it seems like Mark Pope and company like what they see from the former signee.