Category: Kentucky wildcat

 

 

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

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. Story idea?

 

Kentucky has 12 scholarship players on its projected roster for the 2025-26 men’s basketball season, but the chatter around the program and the transfer portal suggests Mark Pope isn’t finished yet.

 

With at least one more scholarship to give — assuming the UK players with remaining NCAA eligibility do indeed return for another year — the Wildcats are still being linked to several available transfers.

 

Outside shooting — a staple of Pope’s offensive attack — appears to be the biggest need as the Cats’ coaching staff gets close to finalizing its roster for next season, and shoring up their 3-point shooting is indeed the top priority in the portal at the moment.

 

Going into Thursday, the player most closely tied to UK’s recruiting efforts is former Sam Houston guard Lamar Wilkerson, whose shooting and scoring numbers skyrocketed from his sophomore to junior seasons with the Bearkats.

 

During the 2025-26 campaign, Wilkerson — a 6-foot-5 guard from Ashdown, Arkansas — averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 47.7% from the field and 44.5% from 3-point range. He was 109-for-245 from long range this past season.

 

Wilkerson averaged 13.8 points per game and shot 34.7% on 150 3-point attempts as a sophomore. He’s a career 82.6% shooter on free throws.

 

Indiana has been viewed as a favorite for Wilkerson, but, as of Thursday morning, the Hoosiers had not yet landed his commitment, and the buzz has been increasing by the day that Kentucky might be more of a realistic landing spot than previously thought.

 

Wilkerson could start visiting college campuses as soon as this weekend, and he’s scheduled to see UK, IU, Auburn and Ole Miss before making a final decision.

 

Lamar Wilkerson averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 44.5% from 3-point range at Sam Houston during the 2024-25 season.

Lamar Wilkerson averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, shooting 44.5% from 3-point range at Sam Houston during the 2024-25 season. Trevor

The Cats have also been tied to former Jacksonville State guard Jaron Pierre Jr. and former Southern Cal guard Wesley Yates III as possible backcourt additions.

 

Pierre — 21.6 points per game and 104-for-272 (38.2%) on 3-pointers this past season — could still be a potential addition for UK’s 2025-26 roster. Yates has been viewed as a likely Washington commitment since entering the transfer portal, and the Huskies still appear to be the favorite in that recruitment. Yates spent his first year in college at Washington, though he sat out that season with an injury before transferring to USC.

 

Former Robert Morris forward Alvaro Folgueiras — the Horizon League player of the year in 2024-25 — also remains uncommitted and is still on Kentucky’s radar.

 

The 6-9 player from Spain has two seasons of college eligibility remaining and could help UK’s 3-point attack — 45 makes from deep at a 41.3% rate last season — while also giving them another bigger body (9.1 rebounds per game) and skilled passer (3.2 assists per game) capable of playing on the perimeter.

 

And talented players keep jumping into the portal, which will remain open for new entrants until April 22. On Wednesday alone, players such as Florida State’s Jamir Watkins (1,626 career points), Mississippi State’s KeShawn Murphy (11.7 points, 7.4 rebounds in 2024-25) and Ohio’s AJ Brown (13.2 points per game) all entered the portal.

 

The final NCAA “dead period” of the spring is over Friday, which will bring the first day of the new recruiting period. That means college coaches will be able to host players on campus and travel off campus to meet with potential recruits.

 

So far, all four of UK’s transfer portal additions this spring — Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mouhamed Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance — have committed to the Cats without taking a campus visit. (Though Quaintance was previously committed to Kentucky as a high school recruit and was already plenty familiar with UK’s campus.

 

The only two players that UK’s staff hosted on campus before the dead period went into effect were former Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen, who committed to Alabama, and former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako, who is no longer considered a UK target following the additions of Dioubate and Quaintance in recent days.

 

Pope had 12 scholarship players on his first Kentucky roster this past season. It sure looks like he will get to at least 13 for his second Wildcats’ team. Of course, with each new addition crowding the depth chart, the possibility of a defection could increase if Pope does indeed bring in a fifth transfer.

 

As of now, five players from UK’s 2024-25 team — Otega Oweh, Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry — are all slated to return, along with incoming high school recruits Jasper Johnson, Acaden Lewis and Malachi Moreno.

 

But there’s still time for that to change. Kentucky players from this past season’s roster have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on April 22 to enter their names in the portal.

 

UK basketball players in the rankings

The 247Sports transfer portal rankings are constantly being updated to account for new additions and evaluations, and UK’s incoming class is highly regarded by that recruiting service.

 

As of Thursday morning, Jayden Quaintance was No. 6 nationally, followed by Jaland Lowe at No. 27 and Kam Williams at No. 33.

 

Mouhamed Dioubate has not yet been added to the 247Sports transfer rankings, but the Herald-Leader was told this week that he would slot into the top 50 once he is placed on the list.

 

As of now, Louisville holds the No. 1 spot in the 247Sports transfer portal team rankings with the additions of guard trio Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley — all ranked in the top 20 nationally — with Kentucky right behind the Cards in the No. 2 spot nationally.

 

U of L and UK are currently the only two programs with at least three commitments in the top 50 of those rankings.

 

SEC commitments on the way?

Auburn and Kentucky missed out on the top-ranked player in the portal: former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg, who committed to Michigan over the weekend. But Lendeborg might go to the NBA draft anyway, and the SEC has still been raking in high-profile transfer commitments.

 

Jayden Quaintance is the top-ranked incoming transfer in the SEC, according to the 247Sports list, but the league will also be gaining Tennessee point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie (from Maryland), LSU point guard Dedan Thomas (from UNLV), Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall (from UCF), Oklahoma guard Nijel Pack (from Miami), Texas forward Dailyn Swain (from Xavier) and Alabama guard Jalil Bethea (from Miami) — all considered top 50 national transfers — with UK’s Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams and Mouhamed Dioubate also in that tier.

 

And that surely won’t be all.

 

Former North Carolina guard Ian Jackson — a top-10 national recruit in the 2024 class and the No. 7 transfer in the 247Sports rankings — is leaving the Tar Heels, and John Calipari, who recruited him at Kentucky, is once again trying to bring him in, this time at Arkansas. (St. John’s coach Rick Pitino could also be a major player here.)

 

Former Princeton point guard Xaivian Lee — top 25 in those rankings — could end up with national champion Florida next season, though talk of a move to Kentucky has not completely died down, despite the Wildcats landing Lowe as their projected starting point guard. Duke is also expected to be among the schools in the mix for Lee.

 

Tennessee is among the potential favorites for former Maryland shooting guard Rodney Rice after already landing his ex-Terrapins teammate Ja’Kobi Gillespie to run the point. Those were the two leading backcourt scorers on a Maryland team that made the Sweet 16 in this year’s NCAA Tournament, and they would make a formidable duo in Knoxville next season.

 

Villanova could be the Vols’ top competition for Rice, who is also a top 25 transfer.

 

 

Louisville native on the move again

Former Louisville high school star Kaleb Glenn, who starred at Male before transferring to La Lumiere (Indiana) at the end of his prep career, will be playing for his third school in three college seasons.

 

And it sounds like UK fans will see him early in the 2025-26 season.

 

Glenn, who began his college career at Louisville — averaging 14.9 minutes per game in Kenny Payne’s final season as head coach — tallied 12.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game at Florida Atlantic this past season.

 

The 6-7 forward is in the transfer portal again, and Michigan State looks like the major favorite to land his commitment. Kentucky will play the Spartans in the Champions Classic in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 18.

 

Glenn is considered a top 100 transfer by 247Sports.

 

AJ Dybantsa will play for the BYU Cougars next season and is among those in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.

AJ Dybantsa will play for the BYU Cougars next season and is among those in the mix to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Jason Snow USA TODAY NETWORK

AJ Dybantsa loses No. 1 ranking

Even the most casual followers of college basketball recruiting know the name AJ Dybantsa, who has long been touted as a generational talent and the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class.

 

Well, now that the 2025 recruiting cycle has come to an end, Dybantsa isn’t even the top-ranked recruit in the group.

 

247Sports announced Wednesday that Kansas signee Darryn Peterson will finish as the No. 1 overall prospect in the class. Peterson — a 6-5 guard — will surpass Dybantsa in the final 247 rankings, which won’t be fully released until next month.

 

Coach Bill Self still has a lot of work to do in building a roster around Peterson, however.

 

KU will return only one of its top 11 players from this past season — Flory Bidunga, who averaged 5.9 points and 5.4 rebounds — and the Jayhawks have yet to make much of a splash in the transfer portal, where their only commitments are Tre White (Illinois) and Jayden Dawson (Loyola Chicago), neither of whom is in the top 100 in the 247 transfer rankings.

 

Self’s only other high school signee for next season is Samis Calderon, ranked No. 73 nationally. This blue-blood program has lots of roster spots to fill.

 

Dybantsa has signed with BYU — the program Mark Pope led for five years before taking the Kentucky job — and it’s not all bad news for the Cougars.

 

Obviously, their top recruit is still an incredibly talented player, No. 1 ranking or not. And BYU is expected to land former Baylor point guard Rob Wright, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 overall transfer this offseason.

 

BYU is also expected to return leading scorer Richie Saunders (16.5 points per game, 43.2% on 3s in 2024-25), plus key contributors Dawson Baker and Keba Keita, as well as incoming high school recruit Xavion Staton, a 6-11 center ranked No. 33 nationally in the 2025 class.

 

Pope’s former program made the Sweet 16 this year and looks to be in line for another good run.

 

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

 

Profile Image of Ben Roberts

 

 

The Kentucky Wildcats have officially signed two of their incoming transfers.

 

On Wednesday, On3’s Pete Nakos reported the Wildcats had signed Alabama transfer forward Mouhamed Dioubate.

 

Later, Nakos reported that Kentucky had signed Tulane transfer guard Kam Williams. That makes two of the Wildcats’ four transfers who are officially signed.

 

The 215-pound Dioubate will be a junior next season with two years of eligibility remaining. This past season, he averaged 7.2 points on 61.7% shooting (46.2% from deep on 0.7 3-point attempts), 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 16 minutes per game this past season.

 

As for Williams, the 6-foot-8, 190-pound guard finished his lone season at Tulane averaging 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 41.2% on 3-pointers on 4.6 attempts per game. He’s set to be a sophomore with three seasons of eligibility remaining, but his NBA upside will likely lead to him going pro before he can use all four years of college eligibility.

 

Kentucky now awaits official signatures from Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance and Pittsburgh point guard Jaland Lowe, which should come any day now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Kentucky Wildcats have been hitting the transfer portal hard since their loss to rival Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen. Head coach Mark Pope is working tirelessly to replace the elite talent that will be leaving after this season.

 

Perhaps it was Williams’ trolling of the Tennessee program that contributed to their defeat before the game even started in Indianapolis.

 

“It’s cute when a team that hasn’t beaten us in who knows how long tries something like that… We don’t really care. They can do whatever,” Williams told the media.

 

On Monday morning, Pope and his staff made another big splash in the portal by securing the commitment of Jayden Quaintance. This marks the second time Quaintance has committed to Kentucky, but this time, all signs point to him signing his National Letter of Intent (NLI).

 

“Quaintance decommitted from Kentucky precisely a year ago after John Calipari left for Arkansas,” Jonathan Givony posted.

 

For Quaintance’s father, the hope was always that the Wildcats would eventually recruit his son again if the opportunity arose.

 

“We always liked Kentucky. He was committed there before John Calipari left for Arkansas, which is the reason we ended up at Arizona State. We were always hoping they’d come back around and recruit him. It didn’t make sense for Coach Pope last time, trying to take on one of Cal’s guys, but this time it really felt like he wanted him to be there,” his father told ESPN.

 

While this is an incredible pickup for Kentucky, Quaintance may have just secured a major payday.

 

“And you know he’ll ask for a major NIL package, likely in the $2+ million range, which could complicate things for Kentucky, who has already recruited and missed out on another big man,” wrote Jason Marcum.

 

Quaintance is coming off an ACL injury, so such a large sum may be a bit premature. However, Kentucky desperately needed a post presence, and they’ve certainly got one now.

 

 

After Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats were eliminated in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, a majority of their starters have likely finished their college careers.

 

But Pope has been quite active in the transfer portal, and on Monday, he landed his third commitment.

 

Pope found a potential replacement for parting guard Lamont Butler quickly, adding Tulane guard Kam Williams during the second weekend of the tournament. On Saturday, he landed Pittsburgh guard Jaland Lowe as well.

 

But, still needing a forward, Pope found one from an SEC opponent.

 

On Monday, On3’s Joe Tipton reported that Kentucky had landed Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate.

 

“BREAKING: Alabama transfer forward Mouhamed Dioubate has committed to Kentucky, he told @On3sports,” Tipton wrote on X. “The 6-7 sophomore averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season.”

 

Dioubate, a 6-foot-7, 215-pound sophomore out of Queens, NY, was a four-star prospect in the class of 2023 (247Sports). He ranked as the 24th-best power forward and 104th overall in his class.

 

The Putnam Science Academy alum didn’t see much action in his freshman season, averaging just 7.7 minutes per game. But, after one full offseason in Tuscaloosa, Dioubate earned more time in 2024-25 and became a key player off the bench.

 

Dioubate’s minutes jumped to 16.0 per game during his sophomore season, averaging 7.2 points on 61.7% shooting and 5.9 rebounds. His best game in the NCAA Tournament came in Alabama’s first-round win over Robert Morris, tallying 18 points and 10 rebounds.

 

With a few four-star prospects coming in the 2025 recruiting class, Pope could have a Kentucky roster contending for a championship once again in 2025-26.

 

 

 

 

Jason Marcum has been covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Cincy Jungle since 2014 and the University of Kentucky for A Sea Of Blue since 2015.

While the Kentucky Wildcats are trying to build a new basketball roster, they’re also filling out the schedule for the 2025-26 season.

 

On Saturday, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that Kentucky will host Bellarmine on December 23rd at Rupp Arena.

 

A long-time Division II program, the Knights recently moved into the Division I ranks after joining the Atlantic Sun Conference. However, it’s been a rough transition, as they finished 5-26 this past season after going 8-23 the previous season. They did manage to win the 2022 ASUN Tournament, but it’s been tough sledding ever since.

 

Head coach Scott Davenport retired this offseason following a career that saw him win the 2011 NCAA Division II Championship, along with six regular-season conference titles at the Division II level.

 

His son, Doug Davenport, will replace him in what will mark a new era for the program next season, and that will include a trip to Rupp Arena.

 

There’s no love loss between Duke and Kentucky and there probably never will be. The Cats were sent home by Tennessee, and had to endure the roasting on social media of that. Now its BBN’s turn to roast a rival, see the best tweets inside.

 

 

For Kentucky fans, there are few things sweeter than March Madness glory — except maybe a Duke disaster.

 

And on Saturday night, Big Blue Nation had themselves a feast.

 

Houston’s 15-3 run to close out a 70-67 win over Duke in the Elite Eight wasn’t just a comeback. It was poetic. A meltdown for the ages. A masterclass in defensive pressure and clutch shot-making. It was also a prime opportunity for Kentucky fans to watch a Blue Devil lead slip through their fingers like a missed free throw in Rupp Arena.

 

With 3:03 left, Duke led by nine. Cooper Flagg, the phenom freshman, had just buried a three-pointer. The Blue Devils looked poised, controlled, and just 180 seconds away from a national title game appearance.

 

Then came the unraveling.

 

Houston crashed the glass like their lives depended on it. Emanuel Sharp, who had struggled for much of the night, caught fire. The Cougars snagged offensive boards, stole inbounds passes, and buried free throws with ice in their veins.

 

The sequence was pure chaos:

 

A missed three from Duke.

 

Three consecutive Houston offensive rebounds.

 

A block by Flagg — followed by yet another offensive board.

 

A layup, a steal, more free throws.

 

A tip-in dunk by Joseph Tugler.

 

Then, with 19 seconds left, J’Wan Roberts calmly hit two free throws to give Houston the lead.

 

Duke? They had one timeout, a missed jumper from Flagg, and a turnaround 3 from mid court, there’d be no Laettner moment this time.

 

 

On social media, Kentucky fans celebrated with the energy of a home win.

 

“I have literally never been more shocked. Duke was that good throughout this tourney until those final few minutes. Oh my god. This is bliss.”

 

 

“Houston prevented a Tennessee Final Four and a Duke National Championship. Today, we are all Cougars.”

 

 

Jon Rothstein even compared the moment to Wisconsin’s 2015 collapse in the national title game — the same one that handed Duke a banner. Oh, how the tables have turned.

 

Former Blue Devil Jay Williams posted simply:

 

“I’m sick right now…”

 

For Kentucky fans, the postseason had its share of heartbreak. But watching Duke go down — in spectacular, painful, can’t-look-away fashion — offered a glimmer of joy.

 

And it sets the stage for a new blue blood showdown: Florida vs. Houston for the national championship. Houston beat Tennessee and now they have taken down Duke, 2 of the 3 biggest rivals the Cats have, can they make it a third?

 

In a season where expectations were unpredictable and narratives flipped weekly, one thing remains constant: schadenfreude is alive and well in college hoops.

 

 

 

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With the transfer portal in the middle of the dead period, we explain what that is. We also discuss what the House V NCAA settlement hearing means for Kentucky and college basketball going forward.

 

For Kentucky basketball fans eagerly watching the transfer portal, things may seem unusually quiet right now — and for good reason. The NCAA’s dead period is in full effect, temporarily hitting the brakes on one major piece of the recruiting puzzle: in-person contact.

 

But don’t confuse “dead” with “inactive.”

 

What Is the NCAA Dead Period?

The NCAA dead period is the most restrictive recruiting window on the calendar. During this time, coaches are prohibited from any in-person contact with recruits or their families — that means no campus visits, no home visits, no meetings at schools, camps, or even chance encounters at the grocery store. It’s a hard stop on face-to-face interaction.

 

However, communication doesn’t stop entirely. Coaches can still connect with players via phone calls, FaceTime, text messages, social media, and other digital platforms. So when you see Mark Pope on a FaceTime call with a potential transfer, now you know why — it’s the only method currently allowed.

 

The dead period will lift on April 10, opening the door again for official visits, in-home meetings, and live evaluation. Until then, coaches are relying on technology to keep relationships alive and moving forward.

 

The House v. NCAA Ruling Looms

Adding to the complexity of this recruiting cycle is the looming House v. NCAA settlement, with a pivotal court date set for Monday. The final approval of this case could significantly reshape the NIL landscape, especially for high-major programs like Kentucky.

 

If the settlement is approved, any NIL agreements that include payments after June 30 will be subject to review by a new Deloitte-run NIL clearinghouse. That uncertainty has already impacted the way coaches, agents, and players are navigating the current portal window. Some rumblings have even said Mitch Barnhart is trying to wait until after the deadline, though there has been no real inside information on that.

 

Many schools are reportedly trying to finalize NIL deals before July 1, fearing the rules may shift dramatically once the settlement goes through. Some programs are even committing multi-million dollar packages that exceed the proposed revenue-sharing cap — all in an effort to lock in talent now before the market potentially changes.

 

So What Does This Mean for Kentucky?

For Mark Pope and Kentucky, this moment is about laying groundwork. FaceTime calls and Zoom meetings might not carry the same weight as an in-home visit or a campus tour, but they still allow Pope and his staff to evaluate, connect, and recruit. Once the dead period ends on April 10, the pace is expected to pick up significantly.

 

The NIL settlement is a little trickier, there is no way to know until after Monday. It could be great or it could change the way collectives have been working and reshape college basketball yet again. The only thing BBN can do is just wait and see.

 

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Pitino is also planning to face Louisville next season.

 

NCAA Basketball: Kentucky Blue Madness

Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Jason Marcum has been covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Cincy Jungle since 2014 and the University of Kentucky for A Sea Of Blue since 2015.

The Kentucky Wildcats could be playing St. John’s and Rick Pitino after all next season. However, there’s a catch.

 

In an interview with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Pitino revealed that the Red Storm could play at Kentucky next season in an exhibition game.

 

“We may be going to Kentucky for an exhibition game,” Pitino said. “We were hoping to go there for a regular game, but they can’t; they can’t get it done, unfortunately. We were hoping to do a home-and-home (series) with them.”

 

In January, the Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee approved a proposal allowing teams to play up to two exhibition games against any four-year school, including Division I teams, so that means Kentucky can host the Red Storm for one of the two exhibition games next season.

 

The two schools were hoping to set up a home-and-home series, but for now, that appears to have fallen through.

 

In that same interview, Pitino revealed that St. John’s is planning a home-and-home series with the Louisville Cardinals, starting with a game at Madison Square Garden early in the 2025-26 season. That’ll be one of the most anticipated regular-season games next season.

 

Here’s to hoping we get that St. John’s at Kentucky game.

 

 

As the Kentucky Wildcats enter their second week of offseason roster adjustments, they remain active in the transfer portal, aiming to add experience and scoring depth. Among the prospects they have identified is Jaron Pierre Jr., the reigning Conference USA Player of the Year and a standout transfer from Jacksonville State. The 6-foot-5, 188-pound guard has attracted considerable attention from high-major programs, including Kentucky, Ole Miss, and SMU.

 

A Versatile and Experienced Guard

Pierre’s collegiate journey has been marked by adaptation and growth. Beginning at Southern Miss, he later transferred to Wichita State before finding his stride at Jacksonville State. Now, with one final year of eligibility, he seeks a program where he can maximize his impact. His ability to transition between multiple teams and still maintain high-level performance underscores his experience and adaptability-attributes that make him a valuable asset to any team.

 

 

Pierre’s 2024-25 season at Jacksonville State showcased his scoring prowess, as he led Conference USA with an average of 21.6 points per game. His efficiency was equally notable, shooting 42.4% from the field and 38% from three-point range. Beyond his scoring, he contributed 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, demonstrating his well-rounded skill set.

 

His efforts earned him the title of Conference USA Player of the Year, cementing his status as one of the top mid-major talents available in the portal. With programs seeking players who can make an immediate impact, Pierre has emerged as a top target for several high-profile teams.

 

Kentucky’s Interest

Reports from CBS Sports Insider Jon Rothstein indicate that Pierre recently visited SMU and is set to meet with Ole Miss and Kentucky soon. Kentucky officially expressed interest earlier this week, as they look to add scoring depth under new head coach Mark Pope. Having already secured Kam Williams via the portal, the Wildcats remain on the lookout for additional offensive firepower, and Pierre fits that profile.

 

However, Kentucky faces strong competition. Ole Miss, under Chris Beard, is aiming to strengthen its roster, while SMU is aggressively recruiting in preparation for its ACC transition. Pierre’s visit to Lexington will be a key factor in his decision-making process.

 

Looking Ahead

With a recruiting dead period in effect from April 3 to April 10, teams will have to wait before making in-person pitches. Once the dead period lifts, Pierre is expected to finalize his decision. The Wildcats, along with other suitors, remain in contention as they await the next move from one of the top available scoring guards in the nation.