Khalil Whitney: Freshman Guard Announces Transfer from Kentucky

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 22: Kahlil Whitney #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots the ball during the game against the Mount St Mary'S Moutaineers at Rupp Arena on November 22, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 22: Kahlil Whitney #2 of the Kentucky Wildcats shoots the ball during the game against the Mount St Mary'S Moutaineers at Rupp Arena on November 22, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Khalil Whitney announces plans to transfer from the University of Kentucky 18 games into his Freshman year.

Khalil Whitney has announced that his time playing for Kentucky Basketball has come to an end. According to Khalil’s Twitter page, he will transfer from the University of Kentucky.

Whitney goes on to post:

"At this time, after several conversations with my family and coaching staff, I regret to announce that I will be leaving the University of Kentucky.Like so many others, playing at UK had always been a dream of mine. I truly believed Coach Calipari and his program, was the best fit to assist in preparing me for that next step in my basketball career. Unfortunately, my time at Kentucky has not gone as I had hoped, and I therefore need to make a difficult decision quickly to put myself back in the best position possible as I continue to develop and work towards my ultimate goal."

In 18 games, Khalil Whitney has averaged 12.9 minutes per game, scoring 3.3 points per game while shooting 37% from the field and 25% from three-point range. Whitney has also averaged 1.7 rebounds per game and 0.4 assists per game.

After showing some flashes in the South Carolina game, Khalil Whitney played a total of 3 minutes in the previous two games as John Calipari has shortened the bench and limited rotations. Johnny Juzang, Keion Brooks, and Nate Sestina have absorbed the majority of minutes for the Wildcats bench.

LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 18: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to Kahlil Whitney #2 against the Utah Valley Wolverines at Rupp Arena on November 18, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY – NOVEMBER 18: John Calipari the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats gives instructions to Kahlil Whitney #2 against the Utah Valley Wolverines at Rupp Arena on November 18, 2019 in Lexington, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

As news of Khalil Whitney’s transfer hit social media, John Calipari posted this response via Twitter:

"This is tough for me because @KhalilWhitney is a tremendous person who is going to do great things. I certainly don’t want to see him go because I wanted to continue to coach him, but I understand his decision and, as we always do here, will support him in whatever way we can."

Coach Calipari also posted this second response to the Khalil Whitney transfer announcement via Twitter:

"As I told @KhalilWhitney today, I hope he goes on and does his thing and makes us all proud. I know he will stay in touch with us and I know our fans will continue to support him as he takes this next step."

The official Twitter account of Kentucky Basketball posted this response to the announcement of the Khalil Whitney transfer:

"Wishing you all the best, @KhalilWhitney"

Wildcat Blue Nation, what are your thought about the transfer of Khalil Whitney? How will losing Khalil Whitney impact this team in 2019-2020 and going forward beyond this season?