NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Impact of 5-star Jayden Quaintance's shocking move to Arizona State

As mentioned in order pieces, Andy Enfield going from USC to SMU created an incredible coaching domino effect that ultimately impacted all of NCAA Basketball. It included Kentucky head coach John Calipari leaving the Kentucky job for Arkansas. The entire No. 2 incoming recruiting class de-committed as a result, with players going different places.

The top prospect in the class was Jayden Quaintance, a 6'10 center and consensus 5-star prospect. He's an explosive athlete that can have the physical tools to be a dominant big man on both ends of the court. Considering that he's only 16 years old, no class of 2024 recruit has as high a natural ceiling as he does. His age plays an important role in that Quaintance won't be eligible until the 2026 NBA Draft, meaning that he has to spend two years in NCAA Basketball.

But where was that going to be at? Once he became available, a few select programs immediately became involved. That included, Memphis, Louisville, a possible return to Kentucky and maybe following Coach Cal over to Arkansas. But there was another program quietly in the mix and after a visit, landed the shocking commitment.

For those that followed his recruitment, it truly looked like a Memphis vs Louisville battle. But there's always surprises in store when dealing with young prospects, especially in the NIL era. What does it mean for the Sun Devils and the other teams that were involved in this recruitment? Here's a closer look.