Category: Kentucky wildcat

 

Named AP Co-Coach of the Year along with Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, St. John’s coach Rick Pitino talked about Kentucky’s Mark Pope during a press conference at the Alamodome in San Antonio on April 4, 2025. By NCAA| John Clay

In our In the Spotlight stories, Herald-Leader journalists bring you continuing coverage of news and events important to our Central Kentucky community. Read more.

With a roster that’s nearly set for the 2025-26 college basketball season and the next group of Kentucky Wildcats just a few weeks away from joining forces in Lexington, what’s the outlook for Mark Pope’s second season in charge of the program?

 

Good enough that Pope making good on his promise to hang more banners in Rupp Arena during his tenure as UK’s head coach is looking like a legitimate possibility in year two.

 

“For sure,” Brandon Garrison, the Cats’ returning big man, said this week. “Just seeing the guys that they’re bringing in, I feel like we’ll have a very great chance of chasing that No. 9 and getting further than what we did this past year.”

 

“No. 9” is, of course, a reference to the Wildcats’ continued quest for a ninth NCAA title. UK hasn’t won it all since 2012, and the Cats haven’t advanced to the Final Four — the requirement for raising a new banner in Rupp — since 2015.

 

This past season — Pope’s first as Kentucky’s coach — the Wildcats advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 for the first time in six years, a notable achievement in year one of a new era of UK basketball but a little short of that “banner” goal set forth by the program’s new leader.

 

Garrison and the rest of the returning Wildcats haven’t been the only ones keeping tabs on Pope’s transfer portal efforts and the lofty possibilities that could result from that roster construction.

 

The national college basketball pundits have taken notice, too.

 

This past week marked a milestone for the offseason. The transfer portal closed for new entries Tuesday night, the past several days have seen rampant activity with new defections and commitments across the country, and, by all accounts, the Cats came out of the week looking stronger for next season.

 

The big addition to UK’s 2025-26 roster was former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen, who played a key role in the Gators’ run to a national championship this month and was projected to start for coach Todd Golden’s team in defense of that title next season.

 

Aberdeen committed to the Cats on Monday, a move that made waves in national circles.

 

Field of 68 catapulted Kentucky to No. 3 in its early Top 25 rankings immediately following Aberdeen’s announcement. The Cats have since dropped to No. 4 in those Field of 68 rankings after more additions pushed St. John’s into the No. 3 spot, with Houston and Purdue ranked 1-2.

 

That’s one group of veteran college basketball observers that has UK as a top four team in America.

 

247Sports recruiting analyst Travis Branham — a national expert covering the portal and college basketball, at large — posted on X that the addition of Aberdeen gave Kentucky “a Final Four-caliber roster” with “a deeper and more talented squad” than Pope’s first UK team.

 

Aberdeen joined fellow transfers Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, Mouhamed Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance in UK’s 2025 portal class. All five of those players are talented enough to start for teams with legitimate national title hopes, something Kentucky can now claim for next season.

 

And those five won’t be alone, obviously.

 

Pope is also bringing in three college basketball newcomers: five-star guard Jasper Johnson, McDonald’s All-American post player Malachi Moreno and intriguing, 6-11 Croatian forward Andrija Jelavic.

 

Joining Garrison in the returnee category will be Collin Chandler and Trent Noah, at the very least. Keeping Garrison, Chandler and Noah out of the transfer portal was a victory for the UK staff.

 

The Cats did lose Travis Perry to the transfer portal Tuesday night, a surprise departure of a local fan favorite who contributed as a freshman and offered roster continuity moving forward, but not a player expected to have a major impact on the Cats’ 2025-26 season.

 

Kentucky will now wait for a decision from Otega Oweh — the Cats’ leading scorer this past season — as he goes through the NBA draft process. Oweh is not widely projected to be selected in the 59-pick draft — ESPN had him at No. 77 on its latest Top 100 prospects list Thursday — and he is still expected to return to Lexington for his senior season.

 

If Oweh does indeed come back, he’d almost certainly be a preseason All-SEC selection and could even be in the discussion for the league’s preseason player of the year.

 

“Having him definitely changes that dynamic,” Chandler said of adding Oweh to an already talented roster. “We want the best for him, and his dream is to play in the NBA, as all of ours is. And so we hope that opportunity arises for him.

 

“But if he does decide to come back, I mean, no one’s gonna be complaining,” he continued with a laugh. “O is a great teammate to play with and to grow with. And so, selfishly, I would love to play with O again.”

 

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope laughs with Wildcats forward Brandon Garrison during an open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis before the team’s game against Tennessee last month.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope laughs with Wildcats forward Brandon Garrison during an open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis before the team’s game against Tennessee last month. Ryan C. Hermens

Chandler and Garrison both spoke to the Herald-Leader over the past few days, reflecting on their first season at Kentucky and looking ahead to what they believe could be an even more successful run in Pope’s second year at the helm.

 

Like everyone else, they’ve been watching the portal season unfold, and both returning Cats were happy with what the UK coaching staff has put together for next season.

 

Garrison grinned at the mention of Quaintance, a projected NBA lottery pick next year. Quaintance is listed at 6-9 and known for his rim-protecting presence. He’s coming off ACL surgery last month — a procedure that raises some questions regarding his availability for the start of the season — but he’s a game-changing talent when healthy.

 

On paper, Quaintance is likely to battle Garrison for playing time, but the returning UK player said he’d been watching highlights of the newcomer and couldn’t wait to share the court with him. He also said Pope has talked about playing Garrison at the 4 and Quaintance at the 5 in some situations.

 

“That could be scary,” Garrison said with another smile.

 

He didn’t need film study to speak on Dioubate, who played the past two years at Alabama and was UK’s foe in three games — all Bama wins — this past season. Garrison raved about Dioubate’s toughness and versatility, predicting that UK’s practice sessions would be much more physical in the paint this coming season. That thought brought another smile to his face.

 

Chandler, who is back home in Utah preparing for his wedding next month, said he’d also been watching YouTube highlights to get to know his new teammates and sounded eager to get to work later this spring.

 

That backcourt — with Lowe, Oweh, Chandler and Johnson at the traditional guard spots and Williams and Noah slotted into wing roles — looks formidable.

 

“Kentucky is absolutely loaded on the perimeter next season,” wrote ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, placing the Cats at No. 10 in the newest Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings on that website.

 

UK is also sitting at No. 10 in the latest CBS Sports rankings for 2025-26. Other prominent sites have the Cats inside the top 10, too.

 

Kentucky began last season at No. 23 in the Associated Press rankings and almost immediately vaulted into the top five before injuries started to pile up. The Cats finished No. 12 in the AP rankings despite playing the end of the season short-handed.

 

With no more major additions expected this spring — pending Oweh’s return — this is looking like the roster that Pope will send out next season. Summer practice will start soon enough.

 

“I’m excited about all the guys that he’s bringing in. I’m excited to get to know them,” Chandler said. “Coach Pope is very good at finding guys who are good to be around and good teammates to play with. So I would expect nothing less than that of the guys that he’s bringing in. They’re all very solid. We have a bunch of players who have proven themselves and are winners, as we’ve seen.”

 

The final big addition was Aberdeen, and Chandler specifically mentioned the ex-Florida guard as an important piece to UK’s overall puzzle. This past season, the Cats had Lamont Butler, a veteran guard who became the team’s heart and soul on the court and came to Lexington with substantial NCAA Tournament experience.

 

Aberdeen spent last season getting to where Chandler and the rest of these Cats want to go next.

 

“Especially with Denzel coming and having (that experience),” Chandler said. “I felt like last year we had a lot of experience with Lamont in March Madness, and what he had experienced — and he was able to share that with us.

Now that we’ve all played in there — and then Denzel obviously had a great run with Florida this last year — I think that adds a lot of experience to winning on our team that we’re going to need for the culture that we’re setting in Kentucky.”

 

 

 

Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal: Kentucky’s High-Priced Roster, Final Things to Watch

The portal closes Tuesday, and some schools may try to exploit loopholes in order to fill out their final spots for the 2025–26 season.

 

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with guard Otega Oweh during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with guard Otega Oweh during the second half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. / Jordan

The transfer portal in men’s college basketball closes at the end of the day Tuesday. There may be a slow trickle of names that enter in the days following, as rules indicate that a player must only express his intention to transfer before the window closes to allow for delays by compliance departments. Still, the pool of players that will be available this spring is close to complete.

What should you know about what’s happening in the portal right now and what to look for when the portal closes? Here’s a rundown of the latest happenings and intel.

 

Kentucky rounds out high-priced roster

Kentucky likely rounded out its roster Monday by adding Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen, who played a key role off the bench for the national champion Gators.

While it’d be foolish to ever say a team is truly “done” recruiting in this day and age, the Wildcats have reportedly ended all other portal pursuits. Save a late NBA draft defection by star wing Otega Oweh, the Kentucky roster looks all but set for 2025–26.

 

In total, Mark Pope and staff added five transfers, two prep freshmen and one international freshman to go with their five expected returners. Kentucky’s total expenditures to piece that roster together are expected to be, according to Sports Illustrated sources, well north of $10 million.

There’s a real chance the Wildcats end up with the highest-paid roster in college basketball next season, though a late swing by BYU or another program with a top budget could push Kentucky’s final figure.

 

The biggest fish from the portal class is Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 draft and one of the best rim protectors in college basketball.

Quaintance is coming off a torn ACL suffered in March, and while he and his camp have projected optimism that he could be ready to go by the start of the season in November, it seems likely they won’t take too many chances rushing him back given his bright future. That made him a risky investment for most programs but more palatable for the Wildcats given Kentucky’s strong financial standing and stable of bigs behind him in Brandon Garrison and Malachi Moreno.

If he’s healthy, he’s a game-changing defensive player who could single-handedly help the Wildcats defense make huge strides. Add in Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate at power forward and Kentucky should have significantly more athleticism and physicality up front and on the glass compared to Pope’s first season.

 

The collection of backcourt talent is a fascinating and potentially high-variance one. Pope bet big on Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe, who had a fairly disappointing sophomore year on a Pittsburgh team that really struggled in ACC play.

 

Lowe shot just 38% from the field and 27% from three this season, and Pittsburgh was better in his minutes off the floor, per Hoop-Explorer. At his best though, he’s the type of speedy shot creator who could thrive in Pope’s offensive system.

You’d expect to see him starting at point guard next to either Aberdeen, a steady veteran capable of playing on or off the ball, or Jasper Johnson, a high-scoring freshman. Oweh profiles as a potential All-American on the wing, though his limited three-point shooting may be insulated less in certain lineups than it was in 2024–25.

 

After going to the Sweet 16 in Pope’s first season, Kentucky armed Pope with remarkable resources to build a roster capable of winning the SEC and competing for a national title in his second year on the job. Quaintance’s health could play a significant part in whether those aspirations are realized. But if Pope’s big backcourt investments pay off and the Wildcats have a healthy Quaintance up front, this roster could be quite dangerous.

 

Explaining the rush of ineligible portal entrants

The vast majority of portal entrants in the final days leading into the entry deadline Tuesday have been players without any eligibility remaining as things currently stand.

 

There are well over 100 players currently in the portal who’ve exhausted their eligibility and are now hoping either for a waiver, rule change or some sort of legal action that’d give them another chance to play college basketball.

 

Some of these waiver-seekers may have more hope than others. A number of them spent at least one season at a Division II school and are closely monitoring a federal lawsuit filed by College of Charleston forward Ante Brzovic, who is challenging NCAA bylaws that count years spent in Division II the same as Division I, among other things. The suit stems in part from a similar case in football surrounding Wisconsin defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean, who asserted that his time in Division II shouldn’t count the same as Division I eligibility.

 

The judge in the Fourqurean suit granted a preliminary injunction that will allow him to play in the 2025 season, but the ruling was more narrow than the one that granted Diego Pavia and eventually almost all former junior-college athletes additional eligibility.

 

Also being monitored by potential transfers is a lawsuit by Rutgers defensive back Jett Elad that challenges the NCAA’s five-year eligibility clock. A win in court by Elad wouldn’t significantly impact most players in the portal, as most have also exhausted their four seasons of competition unlike Elad. A handful of players could gain eligibility through that case though, and it could add to the onslaught of legal challenges to NCAA eligibility rules.

 

That said, many if not most of these exhausted-eligibility players would need a larger dismantling of NCAA rules in court to have a path to playing in 2025–26. That, of course, begs the question: If the NCAA’s ability to limit players to four seasons of competition vanishes, does anyone really believe that not entering the portal by the NCAA’s arbitrary deadline would stand up in court?

 

Either way, given players don’t have to have eligibility remaining in order to ask their compliance department to enter their name into the portal, many are simply putting their names in just in case. And it’s causing an abundance of headaches for coaches across the sport who are scouring the portal for options that could be available this late in the process.

 

“It’s an insane epidemic right now,” one high-major assistant texted.

 

What to watch: Tampering and commitment “flips”

As we wrote in last week’s portal update, options in the portal (at least with eligibility remaining) are dwindling. And with few high-level players remaining, the going rate for those that are still out there has exploded.

 

In the final days of the portal being open, that led to a few players who had initially committed to return to their respective schools getting offers they couldn’t refuse.

That runs the gambit from mid-major rosters getting poached from like Akron, which lost star guards Nate Johnson and Tavari Johnson to the portal, to national champion Florida, which saw a projected starter in Aberdeen tampered into the portal before eventually signing with Kentucky.

 

But once the portal closes Tuesday, a primary avenue to add transfer talent becomes flipping the commitments of players who entered the portal prior to the deadline and already picked a new school. It’s not necessarily easy to pull this off, especially now that players in many cases are signing contracts directly with schools that sometimes include buyouts.

Still, according to several sources, many programs are actively working to make pitches to players who have already committed to other schools to make them reconsider, often dangling significant raises from the deals they agreed to just a few weeks before.

 

“‘Committed’ is a loose term,” one staffer joked.

 

There’s far less latitude to move around once players officially enroll in classes at their new campuses this summer. At least one program SI spoke to had changed their summer report date from previous years in order to shrink the window of time that their portal commits could be tampered with.

But until players enroll, they technically remain in the portal even if they’ve made commitments or even signed financial agreements with new schools. Expect talent-hungry schools to exploit as many loopholes as possible to create advantages.

 

 

 

The Cats seem to have completed their portal cycle.

 

 

The Kentucky Wildcats are hoping they’ve completed their roster for the 2025-2026 season.

 

Mark Pope acquired another guard out of the portal on Monday morning, snagging Denzel Aberdeen, the former Florida Gators sixth man. The Wildcats could be wrapping things up soon with the hopeful return of Otega Oweh, who is testing the NBA Draft process. If that happens, then Aberdeen was likely the final addition to the roster.

 

However, Kentucky was considering several players for that final spot, among them being Andrej Stojakovic, the former Cal guard who drew interest from the Cats in the 2024 portal cycle after leaving Stanford.

 

According to Travis Branham and 247 Sports, Stojakovic had been in steady contact with Kentucky after re-entering the portal. However, those talks have likely ended now that Aberdeen is in the fold.

 

CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reports Kentucky has ended its pursuits with all other portal targets, barring any surprise decommitments/transfers from one of the current 13 scholarship players for next season. Norlander added the expectation remains that Oweh will be back for his final season of college basketball.

 

Getting Aberdeen out of the portal has moved the Wildcats off of transfer guards like Stojakovic and Kansas Jayhawks wing Rylan Griffen. Norlander also adds that he expects Otega Oweh back in Lexington after his pre-draft process. Stojakovic has been in contact with the Wildcats, but it seems that they are moving on with the acquisition of Aberdeen.

 

The Wildcats have been in pursuit of Stojakovic ever since he entered his name into the portal. The Cal transfer has heard from some big-time schools, including Florida, UConn, and more. However, Illinois is the current favorite and is currently hosting him for an official visit.

 

 

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

A former Kentucky men’s basketball walk-on player has entered the transfer portal.

 

who spent three seasons at UK as a walk-on — announced Monday evening that he would be entering the portal.

 

A 6-foot-2 guard from Cincinnati, Darbyshire was a walk-on at UK for the 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, which spanned the final two seasons of John Calipari’s tenure as head coach and the first season of the Mark Pope coaching era.

 

In a statement posted on social media, Darbyshire said he will graduate from Kentucky next month after only three years.

 

A native of Florence in Northern Kentucky, Darbyshire played in a total of six games as a Kentucky player. He didn’t play as a freshman during the 2022-23 season, but appeared in four contests as a sophomore and in two games last season.

 

“Being a walk-on at Kentucky has taught me so much,” Darbyshire’s statement said. “With the changing landscape of collegiate sports — roster limits, evolving philosophies and shifting dynamics — I’ve always stayed true to the core values of what it means to be a walk-on: To embody selflessness, to put the team first and to do whatever is best for my teammates and the future of the program. That mindset has allowed me to remain consistent with who I am and what I believe in, on and off the court.”

 

Darbyshire earned several significant academic accolades during his three seasons at Kentucky, including an induction into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character, which honors UK student-athletes who show a “profound commitment” to academic excellence, athletic participation, personal development, community service and career preparation.

 

Darbyshire was one of three walk-on players on the Kentucky roster last season. He was joined in this regard by Zach Tow and Walker Horn.

 

The deadline for college basketball players to enter the NCAA transfer portal is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. Once in the portal, college transfers can make their decisions on where to go at any time.

 

Grant Darbyshire was a walk-on for three seasons with the Kentucky men’s basketball program.

Grant Darbyshire was a walk-on for three seasons with the Kentucky men’s basketball program. Eddie Justice UK Athletics

Kentucky basketball’s 2025-26 roster is coming together

Darbyshire’s announcement that he’s moving on from the Kentucky program comes as Pope is putting the finishing touches on his 2025-26 roster.

 

So far, Kentucky has 13 scholarship players in place for next season’s team.

 

This includes five expected returnees from last season’s team: Freshmen guards Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, freshman forward Trent Noah, sophomore center Brandon Garrison and junior guard Otega Oweh.

 

Chandler, Garrison and Noah have all announced publicly that they’ll be back at Kentucky next season. Oweh declared for the 2025 NBA draft while keeping open his option to return to Kentucky for his senior college season.

 

Kentucky has already announced the additions of four players from the transfer portal this spring. Those future Cats are sophomore forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), sophomore guard Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), freshman big man Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) and freshman wing Kam Williams (Tulane).

 

On Monday afternoon, the Wildcats got a fifth commitment out of the portal from Denzel Aberdeen, a former three-year guard at Florida who won the national championship with the Gators last season.

 

UK will also be bringing in at least three first-year college basketball players next season. Two of these players — guard Jasper Johnson and in-state center Malachi Moreno — will arrive via the traditional high school recruiting pathway. The other is Andrija Jelavic, a soon-to-be 21-year-old big man from Croatia. Jelavic has played the last two seasons for Mega MIS, also known as Kosarkaski klub Mega Basket and Mega Superbet, a professional team based in Serbia.

 

Kentucky is working with the assumption that there will be 15 scholarships available for the 2025-26 season, an increase that’s expected to result from the House vs. NCAA settlement that could be finalized soon. This means UK would still have two scholarships to use to fill out next season’s team.

 

Pope and the Wildcats are also still involved in the recruitment of high school senior Braydon Hawthorne, a four-star small forward who was previously signed to play at West Virginia. Hawthorne took a recruiting visit to Kentucky last week.

 

Kam Williams will be a star for the Kentucky Wildcats.

 

Kentucky-commit Reed Sheppard brings the ball up the court atop the large UK logo at the UK HealthCare Boys Sweet 16 tournament Wednesday at Rupp Arena. March 15, 2022

 

2022 Sweet Sixteen Boys Basketball Tournament

Kentucky-commit Reed Sheppard brings the ball up the court atop the large UK logo at the UK HealthCare Boys Sweet 16 tournament Wednesday at Rupp Arena. March 15, 2022 2022 Sweet Sixteen Boys Basketball Tournament / Matt Stone

An article came out from CBS Sports that ranked the top 100 players in the transfer portal, and one of the Kentucky Wildcats inside the top 50 was former Tulane guard Kam Williams.

 

Isaac Trotter, David Cobb, and Travis Branham of CBS Sports had Williams ranked as the 44th best player in this portal cycle.

 

Trotter, Cobb, and Branham had this to say about Williams and why he was ranked 44th, “Analytics favorite with deep range (40% from 3-point range on 141 attempts) and strong defensive metrics. He’s a low-usage, high-impact wing whose floor spacing and size could shine in Mark Pope’s system if he keeps hitting shots.”

 

Williams averaged 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game last season in his freshman year at Tulane. The 6’8 Williams shot 48.5% from the field and 41.2% from three for the Green Wave, so he was incredibly efficient.

 

This season, Williams will come off of the bench, but he is going to be a star. Williams has lottery-pick upside thanks to his size at 6’8, long wingspan, and ability to shoot the three-ball. He is a prototype of the type of player who is doing well in the NBA right now.

 

Heading into the 2025-26 season, Williams won’t be a player well-known outside of Kentucky fans, but he will quickly become one of the most exciting players in the nation.

 

Pope did a heck of a job evaluating Williams’ talent, and it will pay off as the 6’8 guard will put up big numbers this season.

 

 

 

 

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

A key deadline in the offseason college basketball landscape is fast approaching.

 

The deadline for college basketball players to enter the NCAA transfer portal is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday. Once in the portal, college transfers can make their decisions on where to go at any time. But Tuesday night is the cutoff time for players to enter the portal.

 

So far, only one player from Mark Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team is among the more than 2,000 college players who have entered the portal this spring.

 

But that doesn’t mean it’s been a slow spring for the Wildcats in the portal.

 

Of course, Kentucky is currently set to welcome four players from the portal for the 2025-26 season. Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) and Kam Williams (Tulane) will all be Wildcats next season.

 

Kentucky is also still pursuing another guard, specifically a skilled 3-point shooter, in the portal. Pope also has another transfer portal visitor lined up to come to Lexington this week.

 

Here’s the latest news on Kentucky’s efforts in the portal, as well as some other major storylines that have emerged with the transfer portal as the entry deadline nears.

 

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will be hosting former Alabama and Kansas player Rylan Griffen for a recruiting visit to UK this week.

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will be hosting former Alabama and Kansas player Rylan Griffen for a recruiting visit to UK this week. Ryan C. Hermens rhermens@herald-leader.com

Kentucky basketball set to host Rylan Griffen for recruiting visit

UK basketball’s latest visitor from the transfer portal is a former member of another college basketball blue blood.

 

Rylan Griffen — a 6-foot-6 guard who previously played two seasons at Alabama and one season at Kansas — will be visiting Pope’s program on Tuesday.

 

During the 2022-23 season, Griffen came off the bench as a freshman in all 37 of Alabama’s games. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game for a Crimson Tide squad that was the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, but lost in the Sweet 16 in Louisville to a San Diego State team led by guard Lamont Butler, who just finished his college career at UK.

 

In the 2023-24 season, Griffen was a regular starter for Alabama as the Crimson Tide reached the Final Four for the first time in school history. Griffen averaged 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while shooting 39.2% on 3-pointers, in his final season playing for Nate Oats.

 

Griffen then hit the portal last offseason and transferred to Kansas, where he was part of a Jayhawks team that disappointed relative to preseason expectations. Last season, Griffen averaged only 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game. He made 20 starts and appeared in 33 of Kansas’ 34 games last season.

 

Griffen’s 3-point shooting dipped down to 33.6% last season. He shot 37.2% from the field at Kansas after shooting 45.4% from the field during his final season at Alabama.

 

According to the 247Sports transfer portal rankings, Griffen is the No. 73 overall player available in the transfer portal.

 

There’s also a notable Kentucky connection to be aware of with Griffen before he takes his recruiting trip to Lexington. Griffen was high school teammates with recent ex-Cat Cason Wallace at Richardson High School in North Texas.

 

Wallace — now in his second NBA season — played 13 minutes and was a staggering plus-30 when on the floor for Oklahoma City on Sunday as the Thunder began a Western Conference first-round playoff series with a dominant 51-point home win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

 

Rylan Griffen averaged 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game at Kansas during the 2024-25 season.

Rylan Griffen averaged 6.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 20.2 minutes per game at Kansas during the 2024-25 season. Dominick Williams

PJ Haggerty leads list of recent transfer portal entrants

While Kentucky has already completed most of its offseason portal work, plenty of talented college players are still jumping into the portal as Tuesday’s deadline nears.

 

In recent days, the following notable college basketball players have entered their names into the portal:

 

▪ Chad Baker-Mazara (Auburn): One of the players most synonymous with Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers, Baker-Mazara is hitting the transfer portal after two seasons on The Plains. The 6-foot-7 senior swingman averaged 12.3 points per game last season for Auburn, which won the SEC regular season title and reached the Final Four for just the second time in program history.

 

▪ PJ Haggerty (Memphis): The consensus top player now available in the portal, Haggerty was an All-American and the player of the year in the American Athletic Conference last season. The 6-3 redshirt sophomore guard averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game for Memphis, and he’s set to command a high-dollar figure from whichever school that lands him.

 

Haggerty was third in the NCAA in per-game scoring last season.

 

▪ Andrej Stojakovic (California): This one will be of particular interest to Kentucky fans who recall that Pope and the Wildcats pursued Stojakovic last offseason when he was transferring from Stanford. The 6-7 sophomore guard averaged 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game this past season for Cal.

 

▪ Simeon Wilcher (St. John’s): A former four-star high school recruit from New Jersey, Wilcher, a 6-4 sophomore guard, started 25 games and averaged 8 points per contest for Rick Pitino’s Red Storm last season. St. John’s won both the Big East regular season and tournament titles.

 

Former Memphis star PJ Haggerty is considered to be the top available player in the NCAA transfer portal.

Former Memphis star PJ Haggerty is considered to be the top available player in the NCAA transfer portal. Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Of this group, Haggerty is likely to be the one who has the biggest impact on a team’s fortunes in the 2025-26 season. Haggerty is ranked as the No. 2 player in the transfer portal, per 247sports. He’s also a top-15 portal player in college basketball statistician Evan Miyakawa’s rankings.

 

Again, players like these can make their college decisions at any time from the portal.

 

On Sunday, two players from the portal who had previously been linked to Kentucky made their college choices. Former Robert Morris forward Alvaro Folgueiras — last season’s player of the year in the Horizon League — committed to Iowa. Also, former North Dakota guard Treysen Eaglestaff committed to West Virginia, after previously committing to and decommitting from South Carolina out of the portal.

 

Auburn, Texas A&M add players from transfer portal

A pair of SEC programs made some very notable gains via the transfer portal in recent days.

 

First, let’s look at Texas A&M and new Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan. A&M has added former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who took a recruiting visit from the transfer portal to Kentucky a few weeks ago. Mgbako averaged 12.2 points per game during both of his seasons at Indiana.

 

Mgbako is now the second transfer portal add for the Aggies under McMillan’s leadership. A&M has also landed guard Jacari Lane, who averaged 17.3 points per game last season at North Alabama.

 

Four former Aggies — Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington, Andre Mills and George Turkson Jr. — have opted to follow former head coach Buzz Williams to his new coaching stop at Maryland.

 

Elsewhere, Auburn picked up another commitment from a highly rated player making the jump up to the Division I level. The Tigers have a commitment from Elyjah Freeman, a 6-foot-8 wing who averaged 18.9 points and 8.7 rebounds per game last season while playing for Lincoln Memorial, an NCAA Division II school in Harrogate, Tennessee. Freeman shot better than 45% from 3-point range during his lone season at Lincoln Memorial.

 

Freeman joins Emeka Opurum and Abdul Bashir — both of whom arrive from the junior college ranks — as accomplished players from the lower-levels of college basketball who will be suiting up for Pearl’s team next season.

 

And while it wasn’t a transfer portal add, some big news in the high school basketball recruiting world took place Sunday night that will benefit an SEC school.

 

Nate Ament — previously the top uncommitted prospect in the 2025 high school recruiting class — committed to Tennessee on Easter Sunday. Ament picked the Volunteers from a group of finalists that also included Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky and Louisville.

 

As far as the 2025 high school recruiting class goes, UK’s last remaining target appears to be Braydon Hawthorne, a four-star small forward who was previously signed to play at West Virginia. Hawthorne took a recruiting visit to Kentucky last week.

 

UK has already signed guard Jasper Johnson and in-state center Malachi Moreno from the high school ranks for next season. The Wildcats also have a commitment from Andrija Jelavic, a soon-to-be 21-year-old big man from Croatia.

 

 

 

Shelton Henderson has Kentucky in his top 5 after decommitting from Duke. With Miami as a favorite, he’s set to make his decision on Monday. Could the Wildcats land this elite recruit?

 

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope walks onto the court Thursday, March 27, 2025, during practice ahead of the Sweet 16 March Madness tournament game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope walks onto the court Thursday, March 27, 2025, during practice ahead of the Sweet 16 March Madness tournament game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar

Big news on the recruiting front! Kentucky has made the cut for five-star recruit Shelton Henderson, who recently decommitted from Duke.

The 6-foot-6 wing has listed Kentucky among his top five choices, alongside Miami, Texas, Texas A&M, and North Carolina. Henderson, an elite talent with incredible physical tools and a growing skill set, is set to make his decision on Monday, and all eyes are on the Wildcats.

 

Henderson’s Finalists:

 

A physically dominant force on the wing

Shelton Henderson is one of the most physically imposing players in the 2025 class, particularly on the perimeter. With a wingspan that stretches beyond 6-foot-10, Henderson has the ideal size and athleticism to thrive at the next level. Standing around 6-foot-6, he’s a force to be reckoned with both on offense and defense. His combination of power, length, and agility makes him a nightmare for opponents, and his versatility is one of the key reasons why so many top programs are vying for his services.

 

According to Adam Finkelstein, Director of Scouting for 247sports, Henderson’s attacking style of play sets him apart. He excels at getting downhill and absorbing contact as he drives to the rim, showing the ability to maintain his balance even in high-pressure situations.

As he continues to develop, his game has slowed down significantly, allowing him to read defenses more efficiently and showcase his growing passing ability. Though his shooting is still a work in progress, his touch has improved over the past year, and his high release has become more fluid, making him a threat from the perimeter.

 

Defense and versatility: Henderson’s a game-changer

What makes Henderson truly special, however, is his two-way versatility. On the defensive end, his length and motor allow him to guard multiple positions effectively.

 

Whether he’s defending bigger players in the post or smaller guards on the perimeter, Henderson has the ability to make a significant impact. He’s a strong perimeter rebounder, often getting his hands on loose balls and showing an uncanny ability to disrupt offensive plays. His defensive prowess, combined with his athleticism, makes him one of the most complete players in the 2025 class.

 

The Miami dactor: Could Jai Lucas influence Henderson’s decision?

While Kentucky is firmly in the mix, sources are saying that Miami is currently the favorite to land Henderson. A major reason behind this is the hiring of Jai Lucas as the new head coach at Miami.

Lucas, who was previously an assistant coach at Duke, played a significant role in Henderson’s recruitment during his time with the Blue Devils. It makes sense that Henderson might follow Lucas to Miami, where the two could continue building on their strong relationship.

 

A quick decision ahead

With Henderson’s decision expected to come on Monday, Kentucky fans will not have to wait long to find out if the Wildcats will secure his commitment.

If the Cats are able to land Henderson, they would be adding a highly versatile, physically dominant wing to Mark Pope’s already impressive roster. Stay tuned as the recruitment race heats up, and we await the announcement that could shape the future of Kentucky basketball.

 

The Kentucky Wildcats and coach Mark Pope have done an excellent job of building the roster for next season out of the transfer portal. However, with uncertainty around Otega Oweh, they are still looking for some help at the shooting guard spot.

 

A new name for Kentucky fans to monitor is former High Point guard Kimani Hamilton. The Wildcats are one of several schools who have reached out to him since entering the portal.

 

A former top 100 recruit, Hamilton began his career at Mississippi State, but transferred to High Point after playing little as a Freshman. As a Sophomore, he broke out, averaging 15 points and 7 rebounds per game. Last season, his minutes were down a bit, but he still posted 13 points per contest.

 

Hamilton isn’t a great three-point shooter, but he has been able to get into the paint and get points. He is a good player, and could excel under Pope’s guidance.

 

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From Luka Dončić’s blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis, to Demarcus Cousins and John Wall, these NBA trades involving Kentucky basketball stars shocked fans and left lasting impacts.

 

 

The NBA trade landscape is never short of drama, but a few trades have left fans absolutely stunned. One trade, in particular, took the basketball world by surprise—Luka Dončić’s blockbuster move to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025.

 

But Dončić’s deal wasn’t the only one involving Kentucky basketball stars that shocked the NBA. From Anthony Davis’s ill-fated move to Dallas to DeMarcus Cousins’ abrupt exit from Sacramento, Kentucky’s finest have been part of some of the most talked-about trades in recent NBA history.

 

Here’s a look at the most shocking NBA trades involving Kentucky basketball legends and why they remain some of the biggest flops.

 

1. Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis (2025): A Trade that Stunned the World

 

Los Angeles Lakers RECEIVE Luka Doncic Maxi Kleber Markieff Morris Dallas Mavericks RECEIVE Anthony Davis Max Christie 2029 Lakers First-Round Pick Utah Jazz RECEIVE Jalen Hood-Schifino 2025 LA Clippers Second-Round Pick 2025 Mavericks Second-Round Pick

On February 2, 2025, the Dallas Mavericks traded 25-year-old Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 31-year-old Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future 2029 first-round pick. The deal also involved the Utah Jazz, who received Jalen Hood-Schifino and a pair of second-round picks.

The basketball world was in shock, with ESPN’s Shams Charania needing to clarify that the trade was real. Luka Doncic thought it was a joke and actually broke his phone when he found out the news.

 

Why It Was a Flop: The trade was a massive misfire for the Mavericks. Dončić, a generational talent, averaged 28.6 PPG and 8.7 RPG, while Davis, despite being a 10-time All-Star, is 32 and has a history of injuries. The Mavericks’ rationale behind the trade—improving defense—didn’t pan out as they limped out of the playoffs in a loss to the Grizzlies.

 

Analysts gave the Lakers an “A” for their acquisition, while the Mavericks received an “F.” The fallout? A 12-18 record for Dallas post-trade and multiple injuries to Davis and Kyrie Irving.

 

Kentucky Connection: Davis, drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2012, became the centerpiece of the trade for Dallas. However, his defensive prowess couldn’t make up for Dončić’s offensive brilliance, leaving Mavericks fans furious.

 

2. DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans (2017): The King’s mistake

Sacramento Kings Logo

Sacramento Kings RECEIVE Buddy Hield Tyreke Evans Langston Galloway 2017 First And Second-Round Pick New Orleans Pelicans RECEIVE DeMarcus Cousins Omri Casspi

In February 2017, the Sacramento Kings traded DeMarcus Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans for Buddy Hield, Tyreke Evans, and two future draft picks. Cousins, a four-time All-Star, was averaging 27.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG but found himself on the move after Sacramento’s mismanagement.

 

Why It Was a Flop: Cousins, paired with Anthony Davis in New Orleans, should have been a dominant duo.

 

Instead, injuries and lack of chemistry limited their success. By 2018, Cousins tore his Achilles, and the Pelicans let him walk in free agency. Meanwhile, the Kings received minimal value in return. So neither team really came out ahead.

 

Kentucky Connection: Cousins, like Davis, was a dominant force at Kentucky. His prime years were squandered by Sacramento’s lack of direction, mirroring the frustrations felt in other Kentucky trade mishaps.

 

The Kings also traded De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs. The draft picks there could net a positive return, so we have to withhold grading it for now.

 

3. John Wall to Houston (2020): The Decline of a Star

 

Houston Rockets RECEIVE John Wall Washington Wizards RECEIVE Russell Westbrook Lottery Protected First Round Pick

In December 2020, the Washington Wizards traded John Wall to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Russell Westbrook. Wall, recovering from an Achilles injury, never returned to his All-Star form, while Westbrook struggled in Washington. Again leaving both teams worse than they were.

 

Why It Was a Flop: Wall’s return to full strength never materialized, and the Wizards traded away a franchise cornerstone for an aging Westbrook, who never fit in Washington’s system. This deal signaled the decline of a once-promising career.

 

Kentucky Connection: Wall, the 2010 No. 1 pick out of Kentucky, was a major player for Washington before the trade. The deal left fans lamenting the loss of a Kentucky icon for an ill-fitting star in Westbrook.

 

Why these trades stand out

The Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade remains the most shocking of all, swapping a 25-year-old MVP candidate for a 30+-year-old star with injury concerns. Similarly, the DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall trades share a common thread: mismanagement of Kentucky talent.

 

These trades not only changed the course of these players’ careers but also left a lasting impact on the NBA, showcasing the high stakes and high regrets involved when Kentucky players are on the move.

 

 

 

The Luka Dončić trade to the Lakers is a watershed moment in NBA history, and for Kentucky fans, it’s a stark reminder of the importance of valuing their talent. Whether it’s Davis, Cousins, or Wall, these trades showcase the mistakes teams make when they mishandle Kentucky’s finest. As the fallout continues to reverberate, one thing’s for sure—these trades will be a point of discussion for years to come.

 

 

 

 

She’s listed as the third-best point guard to have entered the portal, only behind No. 2 Olivia Miles (Notre Dame —> TCU) and No. 5 MiLaysia Fulwiley (South Carolina).

 

The full rankings go as follows:

 

G Ta’Niyah Latson (Florida State —> South Carolina)

PG Olivia Miles (Notre Dame —> TCU)

F Cotie McMahon (Ohio State —> Ole Miss)

G Gianna Kneepkens (Utah)

PG MiLaysia Fulwiley (South Carolina)

G Yarden Garzon (Indiana —> Maryland)

F Janiah Barker (UCLA)

F Serah Williams (Wisconsin)

F Sa’Myah Smith (LSU —> Virginia)

G Dani Carnegie (Georgia Tech —> Georgia)

G Oluchi Okananwa (Duke —> Maryland)

PG Tonie Morgan (Georgia Tech —> Kentucky)

C Ra Shaya Kyle (Florida —> Miami)

PG Kiyomi McMiller (Rutgers)

F Kate Koval (Notre Dame —> LSU)

G Iyana Moore (Vanderbilt)

G Kara Dunn (Georgia Tech)

G Taliah Scott (Auburn —> Baylor)

F Latasha Lattimore (Virginia —> Ole Miss)

G Londynn Jones (UCLA)

F Breya Cunningham (Arizona —> Texas)

F Marta Suarez (Cal —> TCU)

G Jada Williams (Arizona —> Iowa State)

G Avery Howell (USC —> Washington)

F Laura Ziegler (Saint Joseph’s —> Louisville)

Former Kentucky center Clara Silva, who is now a TCU Horned Frog, is among the many names in the “others considered” category.

 

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“With the retirement of coach Nell Fortner, the Yellow Jackets have suffered a mass exodus as seven players entered the portal,” Creme wrote. “Carnegie, Morgan and Kara Dunn were Georgia Tech’s three best players, and are all moving on. Morgan was third in the ACC with 5.6 assists per game and can help a contender looking for a steady veteran point guard.”

 

 

 

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