Head coach Kenny Brooks secured his second transfer of the 2026 cycle as Alabama’s Diana Collins committed to Kentucky, per On3’s Talia Goodman.
Collins, a 5-foot-9 guard, started in all 35 contests for Alabama during the 2025-26 season. In 28.5 MPG, the junior averaged 8.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
In her last two games, being the NCAA First and Second Rounds, against Rhode Island and Louisville, Collins shot 77.8% and 62.5%, respectively.
The Georgia-native started her collegiate career at Ohio State, where she appeared in 18 games and averaged 3.0 PPG and 1.2 RPG. Following her freshman-year stint with the Buckeyes, the guard transferred to Alabama in 2024.
The Cats aren’t strangers to Collins’ game, as she was one of Alabama’s top scorers in the 64-51 regular-season victory over Kentucky. In the showing, Collins put up 16 points, four rebounds and a steal.
For Kentucky, the guard brings experience to the backcourt amidst a roster only containing two incoming-freshman guards. As of Collins’ commitment, Asia Boone – the only mainstay guard remaining from last season – has not officially announced plans to return to Kentucky.
Collins works as more of a combo guard rather than a point, and is likely going to be a sharpshooter that fills the shoes left by Amelia Hassett.
The guard is a very efficient scorer, shooting 39.8% from deep last season. She isn’t going to be a player that the Cats will consistently rely on for high-point output, but she will be very efficient in the small number of looks she is going to take – most from the perimeter.
She not only mirrors Hassett in shooting, but also in reliable defensive output. Collins finished the 2025-26 season averaging a steal per game.
Kentucky will get one year of eligibility from Collins, whose experience will work well in tandem with the new faces that Brooks has brought in. She may not seem like a headline addition, but she certainly has all of the tools to be the glue of the team on both ends of the court.
With Collins’ commitment, Kentucky now has nine scholarship players as it rounds out its roster for next season. The portal will officially close on April 20.
