Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope and players Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr talk to the media after the Wildcats’ 78-65 loss to Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament on March 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. By NCAA| John Clay
Kentucky basketball will be bringing in one of the top guards from the ACC for next season’s team.
On Friday afternoon, UK officially announced the addition of former Pittsburgh sophomore guard Jaland Lowe from the NCAA transfer portal for the 2025-26 team.
A 6-foot-3 guard who is from Texas, Lowe averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals last season for the Panthers. Additionally, Lowe shot 88.6% on free throws and averaged 35.5 minutes played per game.
“Jaland is an incredibly explosive, playmaking, veteran point guard,” UK head coach Mark Pope said in a news release. “He’s a great kid who has a tremendous work ethic and most importantly, loves this game and wants nothing more than to win.”
While Lowe boasts plenty of on-court qualities that are expected to fit well with the Wildcats next season, Pope will be eager to get to work repairing Lowe’s distance shooting ability.
The left-handed Lowe shot only 26.6% on 3-pointers last season, while averaging five attempts from deep per game. Lowe shot 35.2% from deep as a freshman at Pitt during the 2023-24 season.
Regardless of those 3-point shooting struggles, Lowe still earned third-team All-ACC honors with the Panthers last season.
Last November, Lowe authored only the sixth triple-double in Pittsburgh men’s basketball history. Lowe had 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Virginia Military Institute.
Lowe — who was originally a four-star high school prospect in the 2023 recruiting class — has two years of college eligibility remaining.
He will arrive in Lexington with plenty of playing experience against UK’s biggest rival. Lowe has played in four career games against Louisville. As a freshman during the 2023-24 season, Lowe had nine points, six rebounds and three assists in a road win at Louisville and 10 points, four rebounds and five assists in a home win over the Cardinals.
Last season, Lowe had 24 points and six assists in a January home loss to Louisville and 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a March road loss to the Cards.
Pittsburgh guard Jaland Lowe (15) drives against Syracuse guard Lucas Taylor (3) during the first half of a game on Jan. 25, 2025, at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York.
Pittsburgh guard Jaland Lowe (15) drives against Syracuse guard Lucas Taylor (3) during the first half of a game on Jan. 25, 2025, at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York. Rich Barnes Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
What does Kentucky basketball’s roster look like for 2025-26 season?
Pope’s second Kentucky basketball team is nearly complete.
Six players from the 2024-25 UK team are out of NCAA eligibility. Those players are Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Jaxson Robinson and Amari Williams. Their college basketball careers are over.
Guard Kerr Kriisa is expected to get a sixth season of college eligibility due to his injury issues. But, he’s already committed to Cincinnati from Kentucky out of the transfer portal.
Players from the 2024-25 UK team who could return to the Wildcats next season are freshmen guards Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, freshman forward Trent Noah, sophomore center Brandon Garrison and junior guard Otega Oweh.
Currently, UK has six newcomers in the fold for next season. Four of those players are arriving via the transfer portal. Those players are sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), Lowe, freshman big man Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) and freshman wing Kam Williams (Tulane).
The Wildcats are still pursuing several other players from the portal.
Kentucky will also be bringing in high school recruits Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, who recently won a Sweet 16 state championship with Georgetown’s Great Crossing High School. Moreno was a McDonald’s All-American this year. Both Johnson and Moreno are top-30 recruits nationally.
On Thursday night, top-30 guard Acaden Lewis decommitted from Kentucky.
Kentucky is also still involved in the recruitment of high school senior Nate Ament, a five-star power forward from Virginia. Ament is down to five schools in his college recruitment: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville and Tennessee.
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