LEXINGTON – With each scholarship holder Kentucky BasketballWith the 2023-24 roster departing (either to the NBA or a new college home), new coach Mark Pope had to rebuild quickly. And he did it the same way almost every program in the modern game does: through the transfer portal.
On May 22, eight of the Wild cats‘ 11 new players transfer, joining 2024 prospects Travis Perry and fellow Kentuckian Trent Noah, along with Collin Chandler, who previously signed with the BYUwhere Pope has coached the past five seasons. And Pope may not be done, as UK is still actively recruiting players with two available scholarships for the 2024-25 roster.
Here’s a breakdown of the Wildcats’ transfer portal transactions so far – who they’ve added, who they’ve lost and how they stack up against the rest of the SEC heading into Pope’s debut campaign in Lexington:
Who are the players that Kentucky basketball has disconnected from the transfer portal?
UK has eight transfers set to make the 2024-25 roster: Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson), Koby Brea (Dayton), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (State of Oklahoma), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and Amari Williams (Drexel).
Positionally, Brea, Butler, Kriisa and Oweh are guards, Almonor, Carr and Williams are forwards and Garrison is a center.
How highly regarded are Kentucky basketball’s incoming transfers?
Seven of the eight are rated as four-star transfer candidates, by 247 sports‘ratings. Garrison leads in 23rd place, followed by There (34th), Butler (48th), Carr (71st), Williams (88th), Brea (91st) and Krisa (126th). Almonor, who enters no. 319according to 247Sports’ transfer rankings, he is the only three-star to join the Wildcats.
Who are the players Kentucky lost to the transfer portal?
Seven players from last season’s roster made it into the portal after former coach John Calipari left for Arkansas: big men Aaron Bradshaw, Zvonimir Ivišić and Ugonna Onyenso, guards Joey Hart and DJ Wagner along with Jordan Burks and Adou Thiero, who they alternated between the backcourt and the frontcourt depending on the lineup.
Thiero and Ivišić followed Calipari to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Bradshaw committed to Ohio State. Burks cast his lot with Georgetown. Hart is returning home to the Hoosier State to play State of the ball. Wagner hasn’t made a decision yet, but Arkansas is in the running to sign another former Wildcat. And Onyenso entered the NBA draft but is still considering whether he will return for another college season.
Who is the best transfer from another conference that will play in the SEC next season?
According to the 247Sports rankings, that honor belongs to Calipari and the Razorbacks, who bring in the former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis. Entering #3 in 247Sports rankingsDavis averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the Owls last season. Davis made 48.3% of his shots overall, including 41.4% of his 3-point attempts.
How do Kentucky basketball transfers rank among conference teams?
On 247Sports team rankings for transfer confirmationsKentucky ranks second in the SEC, behind only Arkansas; the Razorbacks not only rank first in the SEC, but they also have the best transfer class nationally. The UK group is 5th in the country, with Indiana, Saint John It is West Virginia between it and Arkansas.
Alabama ranks third among SEC teams, ranking 7th nationally.
Missouri (No. 12), old lady (13) and new to the league Texas (16) are also among the 20 largest transfers in the country.
Contact Kentucky men’s basketball and soccer reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on the X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared in the Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Basketball, Mark Pope Building via NCAA transfer portal
