Kentucky men’s basketball is preparing to take the hardwood for the first time since its disastrous NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland and John Calipari’s subsequent departure.
With a new head coach and a team built nearly entirely from scratch, the Kernel deemed it necessary to introduce fans to the next generation of Kentucky men’s basketball.
Meet the team:
00 – Otega Oweh
Year: Junior
Hometown: Newark, New Jersey
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats: (Oklahoma)
- 4.8 points-per-game (PPG)
- 2.1 rebounds-per-game (RPG)
- 0.2 assists-per-game (APG)
About: Oweh enters the program as a Junior transfer from Oklahoma, seeing action in 32 games last year for the Sooners. Oweh, who is known for his ability to take the ball to the rim, will add versatility to Kentucky’s offense and fans can expect to see his athleticism and physicality help him become a valuable asset to the team.
Fun fact: Oweh wears No. 00 because of the resemblance to his name.
1 – Lamont Butler
Year: Graduate student
Hometown: Moreno Valley, California
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats: (San Diego State)
- 9.3 PPG
- 2.6 RPG
- 3.0 APG
About: Fresh off winning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, Butler possesses elite defensive skills and is a legitimate threat for opponents. Starting all 37 games at San Diego State, Butler completed his career with 183 steals for the Aztecs, ranking No. 5 all-time. The guard will look to be a leader on Kentucky’s defense this season.
Fun fact: Butler is only the 38th player in San Diego State program history to score 1,000 career points.
2 – Jaxson Robinson
Year: Graduate student
Hometown: Ada, Oklahoma
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats (BYU):
- 8.5 PPG
- 2.9 RPG
- 1.8 APG
About: Robinson may be new to BBN, but he certainly understands coach Mark Pope’s coaching style. Having played for Pope at BYU. Robinson brings a level of experience to this fresh Kentucky team. He was the first bench player in BYU program history to lead the team in scoring, shooting 42.6% from the field and 35.4% from deep, which led to Robinson winning Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year and being an All- Big 12 honorable mention. He is predicted to be among the top- ten breakout players of the year according to NCAA correspondent Andy Katz.
Fun fact: In the last 21 games of the 2023 season, Robinson made at least one 3-pointer in each game, tying for the sixth-longest streak in BYU history.
4 – Koby Brea
Year: Graduate student
Hometown: Washington Heights, New York
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats (Dayton):
- 11.1 PPG
- 3.8 RPG
- 1.2 APG
About: Brea enters the program with a number of awards and stats, including being the second two-time winner of the Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year award while being at Dayton. He also led the nation in 3-point percentage (49.75%). With a sharp shooter like Brea, the Wildcats can look to create opportunities to get him open from 3-point range.
Fun fact: Brea represented the Dominican Republic National Team in the U17 FIBA Centrobasket Championships in San Juan in the summer of 2019.
5 – Collin Chandler
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Farmington, Utah
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats (high school senior):
- 21.7 PPG
- 4.3 RPG
- 2.8 APG
About: After a two-year mission, Chandler looks to return to basketball, making his college debut with Kentucky. The No. 1 player in Utah — while also ranking as high as the No. 33 overall player in the class of 2023 — can bring versatility to the team, with 135 3-pointers made in his career to go along with 328 rebounds, 229 assists and 105 steals.
Fun fact: Chandler recorded his first ever dunk when he was 15 years old.
7 – Andrew Carr
Year: Graduate student
Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Position: Forward
2023-24 Stats (Wake Forest):
- 13.5 PPG
- 6.8 RPG
- 1.5 APG
About: Standing at 6-foot-11, Carr comes to the Bluegrass as a graduate transfer from Wake Forest where he started all 35 games and finished fourth on the team in scoring. Shooting 52.6% from the field and 37% from 3-point range, Carr provides a level of experience that will be very likely to help this new team of players and create size and depth to the Kentucky roster.
Fun fact: One of Carr’s most memorable moments in his basketball career was sinking the buzzer-beating game-winning shot versus Appalachian State.
9 – Trent Noah
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Harlan, Kentucky
Position: Forward
2023-24 Stats (high school senior):
- 29.9 PPG
About: Coming off a 2024 senior season leading Harlan County to the KHSAA Boys’ Basketball Tournament, Noah, known for his ability to shoot from behind the arc (43.03% from 3-point range as a senior), is ready to create scoring chances for the team. The Kentucky native decided to stay home, flipping his commitment decision from South Carolina to Kentucky.
Fun fact: Noah wears No. 9 because that is the championship number Kentucky is chasing.
10 – Brandon Garrison
Year: Sophomore
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Position: Forward
2023-24 Stats (Oklahoma State):
- 7.5 PPG
- 5.3 RPG
- 1.5 APG
About: The 6-foot-10 forward joins the Wildcats after seeing action his freshman year with Oklahoma State, where Garrison played in all 32 games while being a starter in each of the last 29. Garrison is sure to be a key component for the Wildcats with his defensive and play-finishing abilities. He recorded 47 blocks (fifth-most ever by an OSU freshman) and a 58.9% field-goal percentage.
Fun fact: One of Garrison’s off-the-court talents is riding horses.
11 – Travis Perry
Year: Freshman
Hometown: Eddyville, Kentucky
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats (high school senior):
- 32.2 PPG
- 5.8 APG
About: The all-time leading scorer in the state of Kentucky stays close to home to begin his collegiate career with the Wildcats. Perry, alongside his father and head coach Ryan Perry, led his high school, Lyon County, to a state championship in 2024. With two Gatorade State Player of the Year awards to his name, the four-star recruit’s sharp-shooting ability and remarkable court vision will be impactful to the Wildcats’ game this season.
Fun fact: Perry ranks No. 1 in the Kentucky state record books for all-time 3-pointers (712), all-time field goals (1,918), all-time free throws (933), all-time steals (650) and career points (5,381).
13 – Grant Darbyshire
Year: Junior
Hometown: Cincinnati
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats:
- zero PPG
- zero RPG
- zero APG
About: Darbyshire made four appearances for the Wildcats his sophomore season, seeing action in victories over Marshall, Louisville, Illinois State and Vanderbilt. The guard is one of two returning players for the Wildcats this season.
Fun fact: Darbyshire’s father played basketball at Kent State and Miami (OH). His grandfather played at Florida State and Miami (OH).
15 – Ansley Almonor
Year: Senior
Hometown: Spring Valley, New York
Position: Forward
2023-24 Stats (Fairleigh Dickinson):
- 16.4 PPG
- 5.1 RPG
- 1.7 APG
About: Almonor takes on his senior year of college with the Wildcats after being with Fairleigh Dickinson for three years. Starting in 31 of Fairleigh Dickinson’s 32 games, Almonor has a strong offensive presence, joining the Wildcats after leading the NEC in made 3-pointers and connecting on 80% of his free-throws during the 2023-24 season.
Fun fact: Almonor dunked for the first time at age 15 while in the park with his older brother.
21 – Walker Horn
Year: Junior
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats:
- zero PPG
- zero RPG
- zero APG
About: Horn returns to action for his third season with the Wildcats. He saw action in four games for the Wildcats last season, entering the games versus New Mexico State, Marshall, Louisville and Illinois State. The junior is one of two returning players for the Wildcats this season.
Fun fact: Horn chose No. 21 because his father, NKU head coach Darrin Horn, wore it during his time as a player at Western Kentucky.
22 – Amari Williams
Year: Graduate student
Hometown: Nottingham, England
Position: Center
2023-24 Stats (Drexel):
- 12.2 PPG
- 7.8 RPG
About: As two-time Big 5 Player of the Week, the 7-footer joins the Wildcats with an impressive versatility around the rim defensively and offensively, recording 186 career blocks, 1,081 points and 732 rebounds. Williams is expected to play a large role in the Wildcats’ defensive game this upcoming season.
Fun fact: Williams is the first player to be named CAA Defensive Player of the Year in three consecutive seasons.
77 – Kerr Kriisa
Year: Fifth-year senior
Hometown: Tartu, Estonia
Position: Guard
2023-24 Stats (West Virginia):
- 11.0 PPG
- 0.429 field-goal percentage
- 4.7 APG
About: As a fifth-year senior, Kriisa is expected to bring vast experience to the Wildcats, seeing action twice in the PAC-12 early-on in his collegiate career. Kriisa boasts NCAA Tournament experience along with Estonian National Team experience. His creativity in passing and keen eye for the net are sure to be crucial in the Wildcats’ game this upcoming season.
Fun Fact: Kerr’s father named him after NBA champion Steve Kerr.
