Arizona State 5-star freshman to miss 'several' games
One of the most intriguing players in college basketball will be sidelined for an extended period of time with an ankle injury, according to Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley.
On his weekly radio appearance, Hurley said five-star freshman Jayden Quaintance will be out for "several" games after injuring his ankle in the first half of Arizona State's 86-73 loss to Oklahoma State on Sunday.
Quaintance, the youngest player in college basketball at just 17, played just nine minutes vs. the Cowboys before leaving with the ankle injury. As Quaintaince was running down the court in transition, Oklahoma State guard Jamyron Keller cut in front of him and boxed him out, causing Quaintance to roll his left ankle. It was a strange play and should have been a foul.
here’s a look at the jayden quaintance left ankle injury. he is out for the rest of the game.
— Damon Allred (@iamdamonallred) February 9, 2025
sure looked like oklahoma state’s jamyron keller veered in front of him pic.twitter.com/2s0gW4Khr6
With Quaintance out, Hurley will have to go deeper into his rotation for Wednesday's game at No. 12 Texas Tech. Against Oklahoma State, Hurley played his son, Bobby Hurley Jr., for 16 minutes off the bench. He finished with 4 points and fouled out.
BJ Freeman, Adam Miller Back
Arizona State (12-11, 3-9) was without leading scorer BJ Freeman and senior guard Adam Miller for the Oklahoma State game. Both players were suspended — Miller for a flagrant 2 "fighting" technical vs. Kansas State and Freeman for conduct detrimental to the team.
On his radio appearance, Hurley said both players will be back for the Texas Tech game. That gives Hurley a likely starting five of Freeman, Miller, Alston Mason, Basheer Jihad and Shawn Phillips Jr. After making his first career start on Saturday, freshman shooting guard Joson Sanon will probably go back to his sixth man role.
After Sanon, Hurley's bench is not deep. Freshman guard Amier Ali had his best game of the season against Oklahoma State with 12 points and 10 rebounds. But after Ail there is a steep drop off.
Will Quaintance Be Back?
With Arizona State out of NCAA tournament contention — and Hurley on the hot seat — there are questions about Quaintance's status for next season. Because he doesn't turn 17 until July, he's not eligible for the NBA draft until 2026.
If Quaintance elects to go into the transfer portal, he will command a lot of money. A 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, NBADraft.net predicts Quaintance will be picked No. 10 overall by the Golden State Warriors In their latest 2026 NBA mock draft.
Quaintance has had eight games with four or more blocked shots this season, including back-to-back Big 12 games with five blocks (vs. UCF and Cincinnati). His defensive versatility has NBA scouts salivating. With his quickness, length and overall athleticism, he can legitimately guard all five positions on the floor.
More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.