With another season in the books following Kentucky’s 80-76 loss to Oakland, the offseason has arrived.
But, despite a quiet start, the 2024 offseason will prove to be a unique one in Lexington as head coach John Calipari has decided to leave the Wildcats to take up the mantle as the next head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks.
In what was a seismic shift in college basketball, Kentucky is certain to have an offseason unlike any other, with the likelihood of an almost entirely different roster seeming imminent.
With so much to keep up with involving decommitments, new head Mark Pope, NBA Draft declarations and transfer news, the Kentucky Kernel decided to put it together all in one place.
Who’s back:
Information will be added when it becomes available.
Who’s gone:
Antonio Reeves: Kentucky’s loss to Oakland officially ended Reeves’ two-year stint in Lexington as the veteran ran out of collegiate eligibility.
Transferring to Lexington as a senior from Illinois State, Reeves made an immediate impact in Lexington as a spot-up shooter to replace fellow former transfer Kellan Grady, who is currently playing professional basketball in France.
Reeves averaged 14.4 points per game for a Kentucky team that made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and, following its defeat, tested the waters of the NBA Draft.
Deciding to return to a final season in college, Reeves transformed into one of the best players in college basketball with massive strides in defensive and driving ability while maintaining his ability to hit from beyond the arch.
He averaged 20.2 points per game and was named to the All-SEC First Team, with the veteran also receiving votes to be an All American.
With his time in college done it is presumed that Reeves will declare for the NBA Draft, though he has made no official statement.
Tre Mitchell: Mitchell also ran out of eligibility following Kentucky’s early exit from the “Big Dance.”
A surprise get for Kentucky, with Mitchell intending to stay at West Virginia prior to Bob Huggins’ DUI arrest and subsequent resignation, the former Mountaineer, Texas Longhorn and Umass Minuteman made an immediate impact in Lexington.
A heavy contributor to the team prior to injury late in the year, Mitchell was seen by many as a “glue guy” who helped lead and keep the team together off the court just as much as he did on it.
In his one season with the Cats he averaged 10.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, which included a 14-point, 13-rebound double double against the Golden Grizzlies in the fatal defeat.
Similar to Reeves, Mitchell has not put out an official statement regarding his future.
Brennan Canada: The final player running out of eligibility was Canada, who concluded a five year career with Kentucky.
A graduate of George Rogers Clark High School (GRC) in Kentucky, Canada represented Kentucky for all four years before deciding to return for a fifth and final season in blue and white during the last offseason.
He played in a total of 25 games in Lexington with a zenith of nine during the 2021-22 season. During the 2023-24 season he saw the court in five games and did not take a shot at any point whilst on the court.
Canada has not released any kind of statement.
Adou Thiero: The first Kentucky player to hit the transfer portal was upcoming junior Adou Thiero.
The news broke on Thursday, March 28, the dawn of the Sweet Sixteen.
Thiero was not a major player his freshman year, though he did see the court plenty, averaging just 2.3 points per game in 20 appearances.
Putting on muscle in the offseason, year two was where Thiero truly shined, improving his average up to 7.2 points per game but, more importantly, he used his physicality on an otherwise not-very-physical team to average five rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.
While he battled some injury issues as a sophomore, Thiero started 19 out of 25 games he appeared in. He played seven minutes in Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland, scoring two points with one assist.
On Saturday, March 30, Thiero posted a formal statement on Instagram declaring that he would test the waters of the NBA Draft while keeping his options open, including a potential return to Lexington.
Update: It was made public on Monday, May 6, that Thiero had decided to follow former head coach John Calipari to Arkansas, becoming the next in a long line of former Cats to become Hogs.
DESTINATION: Arkansas
Justin Edwards: The first of Kentucky’s freshman to formally make his decision, Justin Edwards declared for the NBA Draft on Thursday, May 4. He made the announcement via his personal Instagram.
Edwards came to Kentucky as a five-star prospect out of Imhotep Institute, a charter school in Philadelphia. He was the No. 3 national recruit and the No. 1 small forward and Pennsylvania recruit.
While he struggled to live up to his hype for most of the season, he came into his own in the back half, finishing with an average of 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6% from the field.
Edwards reached his zenith in the Cats’ blowout win over Alabama, which is currently in the Final Four, scoring 28 points and shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field and 4-4 from beyond the arch.
In the Cats’ first round NCAA Tournament exit against Oakland Edwards scored 10 points, tying Rob Dillingham as the best freshman scorer in the game and tying for third leading scorer in the contest behind veterans Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves.
In his declaration statement Edwards did not include any language to indicate he is keeping the door open on a return to Lexington so, while he has yet to officially forgo any collegiate eligibility, it appears as though he will be departing Lexington after just one season as the latest in a lengthy history of one-and-done players to come through UK.
Aaron Bradshaw: Kentucky center Aaron Bradshaw officially committed to Ohio State on Monday, April 15. He did so one week after entering his name into the NCAA transfer portal while testing NBA Draft waters.
It was reported by 247Sports before noon on Monday, April 8, that the big man was leaving Lexington. He also released a statement on his personal social media.
Bradshaw did so after it was announced that head coach John Calipari would be leaving Lexington to take the Arkansas job. The big man spent one season in Lexington.
Initially committing as a five-star prospect — the No. 1 center in his class and No. 5 prospect overall — out of Camden High School with teammate D.J. Wagner, the future seemed bright for Bradshaw when he decided — at Big Blue Madness of all places — that he was destined to be a Cat.
Instead his debut was delayed when he suffered a foot injury during the GLOBL Jam tournament in Toronto over the summer.
When he finally did make his debut, his return coincided with his fellow Camden High teammate’s injury exit in Kentucky’s loss on its home court to UNC Wilmington.
He would continue to struggle to truly find his footing, averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, dropping three of each in the Cats’ NCAA Tournament loss versus Oakland.
Coming back to college for at least one more year, Bradshaw will spend the 2024-25 season in Columbus, Ohio.
DESTINATION: Ohio State
Karter Knox: Karter Knox, the four-star recruit who was the most recent player to commit to Kentucky, has decided to reopen his commitment following the departure of John Calipari to Arkansas.
The news was reported by the Tampa Bay Times, who spoke to Knox’s father regarding the matter.
Calipari had a significant impact on the Knox family as Karter’s older brother Kevin played for the Wildcats back during the 2017-18 season.
Knox was offered by Louisville, Arizona State, Arkansas and South Florida before narrowing down his list to just Kentucky, Louisville, South Florida and the NBA G-League on Oct. 19.
On March 9, Knox committed to Kentucky for what he thought was going to be a run with Calipari, but that all changed with news that “Cal” is headed to Fayetteville.
The unexpected exit may have played a major role in Knox’s decision to re-engage in the recruiting process.
Update: In an unsurprising move, Knox opted to follow his intended coach, Calipari, to Fayetteville and committed to Arkansas.
DESTINATION: Arkansas
Joey Hart: Kentucky freshman Joey Hart joined the list of Wildcats to enter their name into the transfer portal on Monday.
KSR’s Jack Pilgrim broke the news.
While not a star competitor, Hart drew some initial excitement upon committing to Kentucky as a three-star prospect.
Never really having a chance to shine, Hart averaged 0.4 points per game in seven appearances. While he never had a strong game, scoring three points all season, he will go down in history for nailing the 3-pointer that capped off Kentucky’s 118-82 win over Marshall, which broke the scoring record for UK under John Calipari.
While he was initially expected to develop in the offseason and perhaps be a useful piece of the 2024-25 roster, the departure of Calipari for Arkansas led Hart to opt to leave for greener pastures.
Update: Hart opted to take the mid-major approach, committing to MAC school Ball State.
DESTINATION: Ball State
Rob Dillingham: The second player to enter their name into the 2024 NBA Draft pool without also entering the transfer portal was Rob Dillingham, who did so on Tuesday.
Dillingham made his announcement on NBA TV with host Malika Andrews.
Dillingham became a fan favorite during his one season in Lexington, which almost didn’t happen as he was previously expected to play for the NC State Wolfpack.
A four-star recruit, Dillingham chose to join John Calipari in Lexington in a move that, at the end of the day, cost him four NCAA Tournament rounds as the Wolfpack went on a thrilling run to the Final Four.
During his one and only season in Lexington Dillingham averaged 15.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game coming off the bench along with Reed Sheppard.
Dillingham, who was characterized by his fans as being “shifty” scored 10 points in the Cats’ NCAA Tournament loss against Oakland, being one of two freshmen to score a double digit point total in a game where many younger players failed to perform.
His decision to enter the draft came as little surprise, as the freshman is a projected lottery pick.
Jayden Quaintance: Following the departure of head coach John Calipari, incoming freshman five-star recruit Jayden Quaintance requested to be released from his national letter of intent to reopen his recruitment on Wednesday.
Many fans had gotten excited at reports that Quaintance may be willing to stay in Lexington following Calipari’s departure, but the five-star out of Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, North Carolina, extinguished those hopes.
Quaintance received offers from SEC foes in Missouri and Florida, while also receiving interest from Ohio State and South Florida before ultimately committing to Kentucky on Nov. 14, 2023.
The North Carolina native reclassified to the class of 2024 and will be required to play two years of amateur basketball before being allowed to enter the NBA Draft due to the requirement of draftees being at least 19 years old.
Update: With a bidding war going on for his commitment, Quaintance ultimately decided not to stay with Kentucky or follow Calipari, committing to Arizona State.
DESTINATION: Arizona State
Somto Cyril: Four-star Kentucky commit Somto Cyril has announced that he has decided to reopen his recruitment following the departure of John Calipari to Arkansas.
Cyril was released from his national letter of intent on Wednesday. He committed to UK back on June 28, 2023, and signed his letter of intent on Nov. 8, 2023.
The 6-foot, 10-inch center played in the Overtime Elite league and was offered by Cincinnati, Florida, Georgetown and Indiana.
Now, with Calipari gone, the sweepstakes to get the highly talented and physical big man is back up and running. He was the third commit after Karter Knox on Monday and Jayden Quaintance earlier in the day to decommit from the Cats, who are still without a head coach.
Update: Cyril committed to Georgia on Monday, choosing not to follow John Calipari to Fayetteville.
DESTINATION: Georgia
Zvonimir Ivišić: Despite initial hopes that the Croatian sensation Zvonimir “Big Z” Ivišić may be planning to return for a second season at Kentucky, following the departure of head coach John Calipari the big man instead opted to enter the transfer portal.
Ivišić was limited in his one season with Kentucky, being ineligible to play until conference play due to the NCAA refusing to clear him after he joined the team late. That, as well as a constant stream of illnesses, kept Big Z from truly reaching his full potential, leading the Balkan big to seek an extra year of college.
In his one season Ivišić averaged 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, though it could be argued he peaked in his first ever collegiate game against Georgia.
Scoring 13 points, Ivišić dazzled with big blocks — three to be exact — and a behind-the-back assist to Antonio Reeves that sent Rupp Arena into a frenzy. If all that wasn’t enough, the big man went 3-4 from beyond the arch, hitting three straight 3-pointers.
His highest point-scoring game would come on February 24 when he dropped 18 in a blowout win over No. 13 Alabama, which would go on to reach the Final Four.
Interestingly, all four times Ivišić scored in double figures the Wildcats cracked 100+ points, dropping 105 over the Bulldogs, 109 over Vanderbilt (Ivišić had 11), 117 against Bama and 111 against Arkansas (12 for Big Z).
“Z” entered a long line of Cats to enter the portal or declare for the draft after the departure of Calipari, but was the first to do so after the hiring of Mark Pope.
Update: It was announced on Monday after meeting with Pope that Ivišić would indeed be leaving Lexington and would join Calipari in Arkansas, becoming the first player to formally regroup with their old head coach.
DESTINATION: Arkansas
D.J. Wagner: Former five-star recruit D.J. Wagner became the latest Wildcats to enter the transfer portal on Monday.
Wagner did so after head coach John Calipari opted to leave Kentucky to take the head coaching position at Arkansas.
Wagner committed to Kentucky as a highly touted recruit, being the number one combo guard in the country out of Camden High School, where he played with fellow Wildcat Aaron Bradshaw.
Facing nagging injuries throughout the season, Wagner wasn’t able to truly rise to his maximum potential, averaging 9.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting just over 40% from the field.
His best game came early in his Kentucky tenure on November 11 in the Cats’ historic 118-82 victory over Marshall, dropping 28 points. The performance came just one game after he set his previous career high of 22 against St. Joseph’s.
His career at Kentucky would end on a low point however, with the New Jersey kid scoring zero points in the Cats’ NCAA Tournament loss versus Oakland.
Now, having decided to enter the portal after the hiring of new head coach Mark Pope, it appears as though Wagner, a third generation talent, will finish his collegiate career elsewhere.
Johnuel “Boogie” Fland: Four-star Kentucky commit Johnuel “Boogie” Fland requested to be released from his national letter of intent and will reopen his recruitment following the exit of John Calipari.
Fland was one of the more creative recruits in the class with the ability to shoot and drive, leaving a tough sting in the Kentucky air following his departure.
The Bronx, New York, native was offered by top-tier programs in North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana and Michigan, but ultimately decided to take under the wing of Calipari in Lexington.
Now that Calipari has hit the runway, Fland decided to leave as well, making for another strong caliber exit from a seriously hyped up recruit.
The news came on Monday, just one day after the introductory press conference of new head coach Mark Pope. It would be possible for Fland to still play for Kentucky in the fall, though it seems a lot less likely now that he has reopened his recruitment.
Update: Fland opted to follow his intended coach and committed to Calipari and Arkansas.
DESTINATION: Arkansas
Ugonna Onyenso: Kentucky big man Ugonna Onyenso joined a long list of Wildcats to announce their departure from Kentucky, declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft.
Onyenso, a former four-star prospect, came to Kentucky after reclassifying out of Putnam Science Academy.
In his first season with Kentucky Onyenso averaged 2.5 points per game with 2.6 rebounds and one block.
He promptly entered the transfer portal following his freshman season but returned to Lexington, with fans excited for his potential.
This excitement would be somewhat stifled when Onyenso suffered an injury in the offseason that would cause him to miss the first portion of the season.
When he finally returned, it was to mixed results.
While he had his highs, such as his 10 block game versus Ole Miss, he also had quite a few lows, such as his two point, two block and two rebound showing in the SEC Tournament.
All in all, Onyenso averaged 3.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his second season with the Cats.
While many expected Onyenso to transfer following the departure of head coach Calipari for Arkansas and the hiring of Pope, the big man had other ideas.
Speaking to ESPN, Onyenso announced he was, “Not thinking about coming back to college,” and was, “100% focused on the NBA Draft.”
Billy Richmond: Billy Richmond, a four-star recruit from Camden, New Jersey, has reopened his commitment following the news that John Calipari would be leaving the Kentucky basketball program.
Richmond, being from Camden, played high school basketball with Kentucky’s Aaron Bradshaw, who entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, April 8, and committed to Ohio State and D.J. Wagner, who also entered the transfer portal.
Richmond was wanted by Alabama, LSU, Memphis and California, but ultimately decided to follow the Camden roots down to Lexington.
With Calipari leaving for Arkansas and Kentucky hiring Mark Pope to be the next head coach of the program, Richmond opted to decommit and reopen his recruitment. It is unlikely he will return to Kentucky.
Update: Like several others before him, Richmond decided to stick with his intended coach and followed John Calipari to Arkansas.
DESTINATION: Arkansas
Reed Sheppard: Reed Sheppard joined Justin Edwards, Ugonna Onyenso and Rob Dillingham in declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday.
He will forgo his remaining college eligibility and not return to Kentucky in the fall.
Sheppard, a former four-star prospect out of North Laurel High School in Kentucky and a lifelong Cats fan, committed to Kentucky with few people expecting him to make as large of an impact as he did.
Exploding onto the scene, Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists, working his way up from a expected four-year Cat to a one-and-done lottery pick.
His efforts, mostly coming off the bench, were enough to earn him multiple honors including the NABC and SEC National Freshman of the Year awards.
While many hoped he may return and continue building his legacy at Kentucky after an unprecedentedly bad game in the NCAA Tournament, the departure of head coach John Calipari and Sheppard’s lottery pick status led the Kentucky kid to seek greener pastures in the pros.
Sheppard made his announcement on social media, posting a heartfelt video on his Instagram that included clips of him as a kid and lifelong Kentucky fan.
Jordan Burks: Kentucky freshman Jordan Burks entered his name into the transfer portal on Friday, becoming the final scholarship player on Kentucky’s roster to depart the program following John Calipari’s departure.
The news was made public by Jamie Shaw of On3.
A former three-star recruit out of Arizona, Burks was unable to carve out the role he would have liked on the Cats’ roster after being forced to play big with all three seven footers facing injuries or eligibility concerns.
Shifting back into his traditional role when they returned, Burks saw his minutes decrease over the course of the season.
His zenith would come on February 6 on the road against Vanderbilt when he dropped 13 points. The game would go down as his only double-digit scoring game of the season.
When the dust had settled, Burks averaged 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.
While a return to Lexington to play for new head coach Mark Pope is possible, it’s likely Burks will finish his collegiate career elsewhere.
Update: Burks announced on Wednesday, May 8, that he had committed to Georgetown to join former Providence head coach Ed Cooley.
DESTINATION: Georgetown
Who’s new:
Travis Perry: Kentucky retained one of its six commitments from John Calipari in Kentucky native Travis Perry.
Perry is a 6-foot, 2-inch point guard from Eddyville, Kentucky, and was named the 2022-23 Gatorade Kentucky Boys Basketball Player of the Year last year, making him the first player from Lyon County High School to win the award.
Perry is nationally ranked No. 80 overall in the 247Sports composite rankings while also being ranked as the sixth best point guard in the nation and No. 1 player in the state of Kentucky.
Perry led Lyon County High School to a 31-6 record while averaging 32.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game before falling short in the KHSAA Sweet 16 state quarterfinals.
During the state tournament, Perry broke the career scoring record in Kentucky with 4,359 points, surpassing Kelly Coleman’s total of 4,337, which he broke from 1953-1956.
Collin Chandler: Newly hired Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope added his first addition to the 2024-2025 roster on Tuesday, flipping BYU’s Collin Chandler to Lexington.
Chandler, who is a 6-foot, 4-inch shooting guard out of Farmington, Utah, originally committed to Pope and BYU in 2022 but spent two years on a mission.
In the early morning on Tuesday, Chandler posted a message on Instagram announcing he was being released from his national letter of intent and was no longer intending to go to BYU.
“I am grateful for Cougar Nation in taking me in as family from day one and supporting me in a precious time of my life,” he wrote. “I have been blessed to be able to experience such a passionate and loving fan base. I am especially grateful for Coach Pope and the mentorship and trust he has given me from the very beginning.”
Chandler followed that statement up by announcing his commitment to Kentucky.
“This journey has already taken me to places I could never have imagined,” he said. “Growing up, my biggest dream was to play against the best players in the world. I am beyond grateful to be given the opportunity to do just that. Through the past couple of days, the path I had before envisioned has been blurred. After talking with my family and many prayers, this vision has become clearer than ever. I am humbled to get the opportunity to continue this journey at the University of Kentucky! Go Wildcats!”
According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Chandler was ranked as the No. 6 best combo guard in the nation in 2022. He was also listed as the No. 37 overall player in the country and No. 1 player in Utah.
Chandler received the Utah Gatorade Player of the Year Award in 2022 after he averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists for Farmington High School.
While he hasn’t played in a competitive game since 2022, the upside and past look at Chandler rules this as a solid get for Pope and Kentucky as he continues to build his first UK roster.
Amari Williams: Kentucky men’s basketball added its first transfer on Sunday afternoon as Jeff Goodman reported that Drexel’s Amari Williams would be committing to Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
Coming overseas from Nottingham, England, Williams, who is a 6-foot, 10-inch forward, played all four years at Drexel before recently entering the transfer portal to switch things up for his fifth year.
This past season, Williams averaged 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds (team leading) and 1.9 assists through 32 games. He also led the Dragons in blocks per game with 1.8.
While helping lead the Dragons to a 20-12 overall record, Williams shot 51.7% from the field this past season and 33.3% from beyond the three-point arch.
Before ultimately choosing to be a Wildcat, Williams was also interested in playing at Mississippi State and St. John’s.
He enjoyed a nice visit to Lexington in which he was taken to Keeneland horse track on Saturday before making his decision the following day.
Otega Oweh: Oklahoma Sooners guard Otega Oweh committed to Kentucky on Saturday, joining Mark Pope’s first squad.
A sophomore from Newark, New Jersey, Oweh averaged 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 49.3% from the field on a Sooner team that just narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament.
He shot 37.7% from beyond the arch for the Sooners, further expressing Pope’s interest in him.
It was first reported by Jacob Polacheck of KSR that Oweh had heard from Pope and staff after it was confirmed that the former BYU head coach would continue seeking his BYU targets in Lexington.
Competing with the likes of Oregon and Texas A&M, both of which Oweh had an official visit with, Kentucky ultimately won the Oweh sweepstakes and gained a valuable piece of its 2024-25 roster.
Lamont Butler: Kentucky gained the commitment of San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler on Friday.
A strong defender that averaged 9.3 points per game with the Aztecs, Butler is perhaps best known for hitting “the shot” against FAU in the 2023 Final Four that sent SDSU into the National Championship.
On top of his 9.3 points per game as a veteran, Butler also averaged three assists and 2.6 rebounds per game, shooting 42% from the floor.
Hailing from Moreno Valley, California, Butler spent four seasons in San Diego before deciding to come to Lexington to join Mark Pope’s first UK team.
Brandon Garrison: Kentucky men’s basketball received a surprise commitment on Tuesday morning as Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison announced via his Instagram that he has committed to Kentucky.
Garrison — who is going into his sophomore year — averaged 7.5 points with the Cowboys his freshman campaign, while grabbing 5.3 boards and helping with 1.5 assists per game.
The 6-foot, 11-inch center shaped a field goal percentage of 57.2% and a free throw percentage of 64.8% through 32 games on an average of 22.6 minutes.
As a recruit in 2023, Garrison was ranked No. 45 in the nation and now as a transfer, he is ranked No. 21 overall and No. 4 as a center.
The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, native is a former McDonald’s All-American who participated as a member of the 2023 class. In the all-star game, Garrison dropped ten points and helped with four rebounds and one assist.
Andrew Carr: Kentucky men’s basketball grabbed another transfer on Sunday night as Wake Forest’s Andrew Carr announced on Instagram that he would be committing to UK.
The 6-foot, 10-inch forward averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists through 35 contests while shooting 52.6% from the field and 37.1% from deep.
The Pennsylvania native played his first two college seasons in Newark, Delaware, with the Blue Hens where he averaged 8.2 points his freshman year and ten points his sophomore year.
Delaware clinched a 2022 NCAA Tournament berth and fell to Villanova in the first round 80-60. Carr scored 13 points that game while managing to grab three boards and throw one assist.
At the conclusion of the 2023 season — his first season with Wake Forest — Carr finished with an average of 10.7 points, six rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game.
Koby Brea: Kentucky men’s basketball reeled in another transfer on Wednesday as Dayton’s Koby Brea announced that he would be transferring to Kentucky.
Brea, a 6-foot, 6-inch guard who played all four years at Dayton, became the sixth transfer to make landfall in Lexington during the Mark Pope era, sitting behind Amari Williams, Lamont Butler, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Brandon Garrison.
The Washington Heights, New York, native averaged 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists this past season while shooting 51.2% from the field alongside a hazardous 49.8% from three.
In the 2024 NCAA Tournament Brea and Dayton served as the No. 7 seed where they took down No. 10 Nevada in the first round before losing to No. 2 seeded Arizona in the second round. In that first game, the Flyers beat Nevada 63-60 and Brea contributed with 15 points, two rebounds, and three assists. In the second round defeat, Brea did all he could with 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists in the loss.
Before committing to UK, Brea was eyeing four other powerhouse programs in Kansas, Duke, North Carolina and the defending national champion, UConn.
Kerr Kriisa: Kentucky men’s basketball received its eighth transfer on Wednesday afternoon as West Virginia’s Kerr Kriisa announced that he would be committing to Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
Last year, in his senior season, Kriisa averaged 11 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists through 23 games while averaging 33.5 minutes per contest.
The Estonia native shot 42.9% from the field and 42.4% from deep with the Mountaineers while shooting 77.5% at the charity stripe.
Before being a Mountaineer, Kriisa spent three years at Arizona where he averaged 5.5 points his freshman year, 9.7 points his sophomore year and 9.9 points his junior year.
Kriisa was the second transfer to commit to Kentucky on Wednesday as Dayton transfer Koby Brea announced his decision a few hours prior.
Trent Noah: Incoming freshman composite four-star small forward Trent Noah committed to Kentucky on Wednesday after decommitting from South Carolina.
Noah, a Kentucky native, played high school ball at Harlan County High School in Baxter, Kentucky, and received a three-star ranking from 247Sports but a four-star composite ranking.
Noah had received offers from the likes of Cal, Seton Hall and Western Kentucky and even visited Loyola Chicago before committing to South Carolina in October. He signed his letter of intent in November before asking to be released from it just days ago.
247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein described Noah as a “strong-bodied wing and elite shooter of the basketball,” saying his game is “based on the three-point line.”
Jaxson Robinson: Jaxson Robinson committed to Kentucky shortly after the conclusion of the NBA Draft deadline.
He played for Mark Pope and BYU during his junior and senior seasons but had two stops before that, playing at Texas A&M his freshman year and Arkansas his sophomore year.
Standing at 6-feet, 7-inches tall, Robinson averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season through 33 games played while sinking 42.6% of his shots from the field and 35.4% of his shots from long range.
The Ada, Oklahoma, native entered the transfer portal earlier on and was faced with the tough decision of returning to college or officially entering his name into the NBA Draft, with his decision not announced on the night of the deadline — when players are supposed to make their final decisions — leaving the college basketball world pondering on where the highly-touted transfer would end up.
Although Robinson proved himself on the hardwood, he was only part of the starting five in six of the contests he played in as he came off of the bench in the rest, similar to last season’s UK standouts Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. Due to his level of play, Robinson received the Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Robinson’s best performance came on Dec. 13 when he hammered 28 points, two rebounds and four assists on the Denver Pioneers on BYU’s home court.
Who’s being targeted:
Tyler Nickel: As first reported by Aaron Gershon of The Cat’s Pause, Kentucky reached out to Virginia Tech’s Tyler Nickel on Monday.
Nickel entered the portal along with several of his teammate after the Hokies’ loss to Florida State in the ACC Tournament. Va Tech finished the 2023-24 season 19-15 and lost to Ohio State in the NIT after first beating Richmond.
Nickel averaged 8.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game for the Hokies as a sophomore, but perhaps more interestingly shot 39.9% from beyond the arch, making him a target for numerous schools looking to add shooting threats this offseason.
Javian McCollum: Kentucky reportedly reached out to Oklahoma’s Javian McCollum on Friday, April 5.
McCollum, a junior guard from Fort Myers, Florida, averaged 13.3 points per game to go along with 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Kentucky will be competing with the likes of USC, Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida, Michigan and, perhaps most intensely, with Georgia Tech for McCollum.
Javon Small: Post hiring of Mark Pope, Kentucky also reportedly expressed interest in Oklahoma State guard Javon Small.
A junior out of South Bend, Indiana, Small averaged 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field for the Cowboys. He also shot 37.4% from beyond the arch.
Small spent one season in Stillwater after transferring from East Carolina. His final year in Carolina saw him average 15.8 points and 5.6 assists per game.
Interestingly, Small is the cousin of former Wildcat Antonio Reeves.
David Coit: Kentucky reportedly expressed interest in Northern Illinois guard David Coit. The Portal Report reported that Coit had informed it that Kentucky had made contact.
Coit, a junior out of Columbus, New Jersey, averaged 20.8 points per game while shooting 40.7% from the field and 33.7% from beyond the arch for the Huskies.
He spent two seasons in DeKalb County with NIU before entering the transfer portal.
Jaxson Robinson: BYU’s former NBA prospect Jaxson Robinson announced he would be entering the transfer portal on Saturday while maintaining his name in the NBA Draft pool for the time being.
With the news Mark Pope and Co. jumped up to the top of the favorites list for Robinson, who committed to Pope once before in Provo.
Robinson averaged 14.2 points per game while shooting 42% from the field for the Cougars, having spent two years with the program after one season each at Arkansas and Texas A&M.
