With Kentucky men’s basketball concluding its 2025–26 season with a Round of 32 loss, head coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats will look to turn the page and rebuild for the upcoming year.

Pope entered the season with one of the most hyped rosters in the nation, carrying expectations of bringing home National Championship No. 9.

However, after finishing 24-12 (10-8 SEC) and suffering its worst NCAA Tournament loss since 1971, there’s no doubt Pope and company are looking to bounce back in year three.

In this new era of college sports, defined by the transfer portal, NIL and evolving coaching roles, keeping track of it all can be overwhelming.

Thus, the Kentucky Kernel will compile all offseason updates — from roster moves to coaching changes and beyond — in one place.

As of April 19, all members of Kentucky’s 2025-26 roster have announced their intentions for the upcoming season, aside from Braydon Hawthorne.

Who’s Gone:

Otega Oweh – Out of eligibility, will enter the 2026 NBA Draft

Walker Horn – Out of eligibility

Zach Tow – Out of eligibility, will attend UK Law School following graduation

Jayden Quaintance – Will enter the 2026 NBA Draft

Collin Chandler – Outgoing transfer, committed to BYU 

After entering the transfer portal earlier in the week, Collin Chandler quickly found a new home, announcing his commitment to BYU and a return to his home state of Utah.

Chandler’s move back to BYU comes full circle, as he was originally committed to the Cougars out of high school when Mark Pope was still the head coach, before following him to Kentucky.

His first season in Lexington was limited, as both he and Pope noted he was working his way back into form after spending two years on a mission trip, essentially relearning the game at the college level.

However, this past season, Chandler’s role was significant, starting in 30 games for the Wildcats, averaging 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 41% from three.

Chandler joins Aberdeen as the second player to return to their former school after entering the transfer portal.

Andrija Jelavic – Outgoing transfer, committed to Ohio State

*UPDATE as of 4/10: Committed to Ohio State

Starting forward Andrija Jelavic became the sixth Kentucky player to enter the transfer portal.

The former 4-star recruit committed to Kentucky after spending two seasons with Mega Superbet, a professional Serbian team.

While Jelavic is technically a freshman, the NCAA ruled him as a sophomore due to his experience in the professional league overseas.

He averaged 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.4 steals, playing 15.6 minutes per game in rotation with Mo Dioubate, and finished four games with double-digit scoring margins.

Denzel Aberdeen – Outgoing transfer seeking eligibility, committed to Florida

*UPDATE as of 4/10: Commited to Florida

Denzel Aberdeen made an unexpected announcement in the early hours of Tuesday morning, saying that he will enter the transfer portal as he files an NCAA eligibility waiver in hopes of receiving another year of player eligibility.

While Aberdeen has played four seasons, he logged only 41 minutes during his freshman season at Florida.

This comes just weeks after President Donald Trump announced an executive order regarding college athletes’ eligibility and the transfer portal.

The order will require athletes to complete five years of eligibility within a five-year period, which goes against current NCAA eligibility rules, which require athletes to complete four years of play within a five-year period.

Aberdeen was a crucial part of Pope’s offense this season, most notably taking over the point in the absence of Jaland Lowe.

With 35 starts and playing around 30 minutes per contest, he averaged 13.5 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the field and 36.3% from three, along with 79.8% from the free-throw line.

He added 2.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.1 blocks per game.

Malachi Moreno** – NBA Draft TBD

One of Kentucky’s key starters, 7-foot freshman Malachi Moreno, announced he will test the 2026 NBA Draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility.

Moreno, a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team, appeared in 36 games with 30 starts, averaging 7.8 points and 1.8 assists per game while shooting a team-high 58.2% from the field.

He also led the team in both rebounds (6.3) and blocks (1.5) per game.

Moreno earned SEC Player of the Week honors following Kentucky’s wins over South Carolina and Vanderbilt, where he averaged 9.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 66.7% from the field and 87.5% from the free-throw line.

The 7-footer recorded three double-doubles and delivered multiple standout performances, including a game-winning buzzer-beater at LSU and a historic stat line against Mississippi State with 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.

The Georgetown native came out of high school as a top-25 prospect and a McDonald’s All-American, earning Mr. Kentucky Basketball honors after leading his team to a state title in 2025.

** While Moreno has entered his name into the 2026 NBA Draft, he will keep his eligibility, and announced that if he returns to college basketball, he will continue playing for Kentucky.

Mo Dioubate – Entered the transfer portal

Kentucky men’s basketball will lose its fourth player in the midst of the offseason, with 6-foot-7 forward Mo Dioubate announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal.

Dioubate averaged 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal per game, and capped the year off with a 54.2% field-goal percentage and a 65.2% free-throw percentage while getting to the line an average of 3.6 times per game.

Dioubate spent his first two seasons with Alabama before transferring to Kentucky.

Brandon Garrison – Outgoing transfer, committed to Alabama

*UPDATE as of 4/12: Committed to Alabama

After two seasons with Pope and Kentucky, Garrison will look for a new home to play out his remaining eligibility.

Through a season filled with ups and downs, he found his best moments in monster blocks, slam dunks, but most notably, his role off the court as a father.

He ended the season averaging 16.2 minutes per contest, totaling 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 55.6% from the field, along with 1.1 assists per game.

Jaland Lowe – Outgoing transfer, committed to Georgetown

*UPDATE as of 4/13: Committed to Georgetown

During his short-lived time in Lexington, Lowe would only register nine total appearances and two starts for the Cats.

He averaged eight points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game on 35.8% shooting from the field.

Jasper Johnson – Entered the transfer portal, committed to Oregon

Former top-25 recruit and Lexington native Jasper Johnson announced his intention to enter the transfer portal after one season with Kentucky.

He averaged 12.0 minutes per contest, 4.9 points per game, 40.0% from the field and 34.1% from three, along with 1.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists through 35 games.

Who’s New:

Alex Wilkins – transfer commit (Furman)

Kentucky and Mark Pope earned their second transfer commitment of the offseason Saturday afternoon, landing Furman combo guard Alex Wilkins.

Wilkins joins Zoom Diallo as the second transfer signee for the upcoming season, with the two expected to be key players in the backcourt for the Wildcats.

The 6-foot-5 rising sophomore ended the year averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 46% from the field and 32.8% from beyond the arc.

His successful collegiate debut earned him All-SoCon Second Team honors and Southern Conference Tournament MVP.

Zoom Diallo – transfer commit (Washington)

Head coach Mark Pope and Kentucky men’s basketball reeled in its first transfer commitment Wednesday evening with four-star point guard Zoom Diallo, who announced that he would be transferring to UK after spending two seasons with the Washington Huskies.

In his two collegiate seasons, Diallo averaged a total of 13.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per night through 64 games played and 51 games started. He shot 48.2% from the field and 27.4% from downtown.

As a sophomore this past season, Diallo averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and a 31.5% from the three.

Mason Williams – freshman commit

Mason Williams becomes Kentucky and Mark Pope’s first commitment out of the 2026 class, the four-star point guard announcing his commitment while on an official visit on March 27.

He chose the Wildcats over  Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Jackson State, Memphis, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin and Washington.

The four-star out of Millington, Tenn., ranks No. 109 overall in his class, and as the No. 13 point guard in the nation. 

Williams initially committed to Jackson State back on Oct. 29, 2025, with his father, NBA standout Mo Williams, entering his fifth season as the Tigers’ head coach.

However, Williams reopened his commitment only two months later and took only visits to Texas Tech and Kentucky before announcing his commitment. 

Zyon Hawthorne – freshman commit

Who’s Back:

Braydon Hawthorne – sophomore

Trent Noah – junior

Kam Williams – junior

Reece Potter – redshirt junior

Reece Potter, a 7-foot-1 forward, will be coming back to UK next season as a redshirt junior. 

Potter transferred to UK last offseason after spending two seasons with the Miami (OH) Redhawks, where he totaled 11 starts, all as a freshman, through 56 games played.

Once Potter made landfall in Lexington, he didn’t get an opportunity to officially suit up in the blue and white after officially redshirting back in November.

Head coach Mark Pope revealed that Potter was recovering from a chronic health issue that was further explained as a long-term recovery.

Who’s visiting: 

Zoom Diallo, Washington – Committed to Kentucky 4/15

Alex Wilkins, Furman – Committed to Kentucky 4/18

Gabriel Dynes, USC

Justin McBride, JMU

Jerone Morton, Washington State 

Offseason Timeline:

Thursday, April 24 – Justin McBride takes official visit to UK

JMU transfer Justin McBride takes an official visit to UK.

Wednesday, April 22 – Zyon Hawthorne signs with Kentucky

Braydon Hawthorne’s younger brother, Zyon, a graduating senior, signs with UK for the upcoming season.

Tuesday, April 21 – Braydon Hawthorne resigns with Kentucky for the upcoming season

Rising sophmore Braydon Hawthorne will return for the 2026-27 season.

Tuesday, April 21 – Mo Dioubate commits to LSU

Former Kentucky and Alabama player Mo Dioubate announces commitment to LSU.

Tuesday, April 21 – Transfer Portal closed

Sunday, April 19 – Transfer target Sebastian Rancik chooses Florida State over Kentucky

Colorado transfer Sebastian Rancik commits to Florida State.

Saturday, April 18 – Furman transfer Alex Wilkins commits to Kentucky

Pope and company land their second transfer commitment for the upcoming season in Furman’s Alex Wilkins.

Thursday, April 14 – Sebastian Rancik takes an official visit to Kentucky

Colorado forward Sebastian Rancik joins Alex Wilikins on his official visit.

Thursday, April 14 – Alex Wilkins takes an official visit to Kentucky

Furman transfer Alex Wilkins attends his official visit with the Wildcats.

Wednesday, April 13 – Reece Potter officially signs with Kentucky, will return for 2026-27 season

UK center Reece Potter becomes the third Wildcat to resign with the Cats following last season. Potter was given a medical shirt for the 2025-26 season.

Wednesday, April 13 – Zoom Diallo commits to Kentucky

Shortly after losing Rob Wright, Kentucky earned its first transfer commitment for next season in Washington’s Zoom Diallo.

Wednesday, April 13 – Rob Wright III announces return to BYU

Rob Wright III will return to BYU for his junior season following his visit to Kentucky.

Wednesday, April 13 – Donavan “Donnie” Freeman takes an official visit to Kentucky

Syracuse power forward transfer Donnie Freeman takes an official visit to Kentucky.

Monday, April 13 – BYU’s Rob Wright III takes an official visit to Kentucky 

BYU’s starting point guard, Rob Wright III, takes an official visit with Kentucky. In. In his sophomore season, Wright averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. He shot 46% from the field and 41% from the three.

Monday, April 13 – Tyran Stokes takes an official visit to Kentucky

The No. 1 player in the 2026 class takes an official visit to Kentucky, as the Wildcats continue to battle Kansas for the 6-foot-7 forward.

Wednesday, April 13 – Jaland Lowe commits to Georgetown

After spending a season with the Wildcats, Jaland Lowe announced his commitment ot Georgetown for his senior season.

Sunday, April 12 – Brandon Garrison commits to Alabama

After two seasons with UK, Garrison finds a new home with Nate Oats.

Sunday, April 12 – Trent Noah announces return to Kentucky

Trent Noah becomes the second player from Pope’s rotation to announce his return.

Saturday, April 11 – Collin Chandler commits to BYU

Just days after entering the transfer portal, Collin Chandler announced his commitment to BYU, returning to his home state of Utah.

Friday, April 10 – Andrija Jelavic commits to Ohio State

After one season at Kentucky, Andrija Jelavic finds a new home at Ohio State following his decision to enter the transfer portal.

Friday, April 10 – Washington transfer Vazoumana “Zoom” Diallo takes official visit to Kentucky

Kentucky hosts its first transfer portal visitor in Washington guard Vazoumana “Zoom” Diallo, who averaged double figures last season.

Friday, April 10 – Denzel Aberdeen announces return to Florida to finish undergraduate degree

After entering the transfer portal, Denzel Aberdeen announces he will return to Florida to finish his degree while awaiting a decision on his NCAA waiver.

Wednesday, April 8 – Collin Chandler enters transfer portal

Kentucky loses another starter to the transfer portal, this time in sophomore guard Collin Chandler.

Tuesday, April 7 – Kam Williams announces return to Kentucky

Kam Williams becomes Kentucky’s first key returnee, announcing he will return for his junior season.

Tuesday, April 7 – Andrija Jelavic enters the transfer portal

Kentucky has already lost six players to the transfer portal, most recently one of its starting guys, Andrija Jelavic.

Tuesday, April 7 – Denzel Aberdeen enters transfer portal and files NCAA eligibility waiver

Denzel Aberdeen announces his entrance in the transfer portal on the back of an NCAA eligibility waiver, looking to earn a fifth year.

Tuesday, April 7 – NCAA transfer portal opens 

Dioubate, Garrison, Johnson, and Lowe officially enter the transfer portal. Players have until April 21 to enter.

Monday, April 6 – Malachi Moreno will enter the 2026 NBA Draft, but will retain college eligibility 

After one season with UK, Malachi Moreno has entered the 2026 NBA Draft; however, if not drafted, he has signed a return contract with Kentucky and will return to Lexington next season.

Monday, April 6 – Mo Dioubate announces he will enter the transfer portal

Mo Dioubate, one of the team’s biggest difference-makers and role players, announced he will enter the transfer portal. Dioubate spent two years at Alabama before transferring to Kentucky.

Friday, April 3 – Brandon Garrison announces he will enter the transfer portal

Two-year big man Brandon Garrison becomes the third player to enter the transfer portal.

Friday, April 3 – Jasper Johnson will enter the transfer portal 

After one season with Kentucky, Jasper Johnson will enter the transfer portal.

Saturday, March 28 – Jaland Lowe enters the transfer portal after one season

Jaland Lowe becomes the first Kentucky player to enter the transfer portal.

Friday, March 27 – Mark Pope and Kentucky land four-star Mason Williams

Mason Williams becomes Kentucky’s first class of 2026 commit.

Wednesday, March 26 – Kentucky hires Keegan Brown as Director of Roster Management

Keegan Brown will join Pope and company as director of roster management.

According to the official press release from UK Athletics, “Brown will work closely with Pope and the staff to support the program’s roster-building efforts.”

Brown joins from the Wisconsin Herd after previously working under Pope at BYU, bringing experience in scouting, analytics and roster construction.

Wednesday, March 26 – Assistant Coach Jason Hart departs UK for role at SMU

Kentucky men’s basketball assistant coach Jason Hart is taking on a new assistant coaching role with SMU.

Hart, 47, was an initial member on head coach Mark Pope’s inaugural Kentucky staff, getting hired back in April of 2024 just shortly after Pope made the transition from BYU.

Tuesday, March 25 – Junior forward Reece Potter announces return to UK for upcoming season via KSR

After a redshirt year with the Wildcats, 7’1 forward Reece Potter will return to Lexington.