Florida basketball: Gators in top four for No. 8 overall prospect

Florida basketball has been strong in recruiting players to their program, both out of high school and through the transfer portal, with Todd Golden at the helm.

As we head into Golden’s second season as the head man down in Gainesville, it looks like that’s a trend that is going to continue.

One of the top high school prospects in the country, Jayden Quaintance, announced his final four schools a couple of days ago.

The Gators made the cut, along with Kentucky, Ohio State, and Missouri.

Florida basketball: Still room to get better

Jayden was originally a member of the 2025 class but reclassified up to the 2024 cycle. This means that he’ll be on a college campus ready to play before he even turns 18.

And despite his youth, he is still one of the most dominant players in the country.

Quaintance is ranked as the eighth-best player in the country, the second-best center in his class, and the best player coming out of North Carolina, per On3’s Industry Ranking.

At 6’10”-225, Jayden is able to handle the ball like some guards. He’s very comfortable off the dribble and is able to pull up and take mid-range shots over defenders.

One area that Jayden can work on, according to Eric Bossi of 247, is his defense around the rim, as well as his shot selection.

The good news for Jayden is that since he’s so young, he has plenty of time to work those issues out and still be a dominant player at the college level.

Quaintance took an official visit to the Gators in October of this year, just a week after Florida offered him.

It seems that there is a high level of interest in the Gators from Jayden’s side, and Golden would have to be nuts not to have a lot of interest in him as well.

Winning Quaintance’s recruitment would be huge for the Gators’ program.