It goes without saying that the NIL and transfer portal era has completely changed college basketball. For better or worse, well... I'll let you make that call.
And while the Mark Pope procedure is going on only its third year, it's a period that has been defined by players from other schools and (sure to be) big checks behind the scenes. It's a different world, and Kentucky is being forced to rapidly adapt.
As a result, now feels like a better time than ever to look back at a trio of the Cats' best transfer portal pickups since the method took hold:
Oscar Tshiebwe
Oscar Tshiebwe, now a center for the Utah Jazz, is one of the most beloved players to ever play in the blue and white. Point, blank, period. There's something to be said about a guy who plays with a passion like Tshiebwe regardless of his numbers, but it helps that the big downright dominated at Kentucky.
Netting a College Player of the Year award and averaging a double-double in both his seasons as a Wildcat, Kentucky's lack of postseason success during this time does little to negate the impact that Tshiebwe had on the program.
He's the most accomplished transfer Kentucky has ever seen, and defined what success in the portal could look like in Lexington.
Otega Oweh
Oweh, of course, is of similar nature to Tshiebwe. He didn't land a POTY award, but he did lead Kentucky back to the Sweet 16 for the first time in six years and, more recently, nailed a half-court shot to allow the Cats to advance out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
He's got ice in his veins, and his return from NBA Draft consideration between his junior and senior years signaled a dedication to the Big Blue Nation that few players can claim on the same scale.
Oweh's 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals in his final season were all career-high markings. He's a one-of-one athlete with a clutch gene like few others. A true transfer portal legend.
Antonio Reeves
In another throwback to the time before Pope, Antonio Reeves spent the last two seasons of his five-year collegiate career in the blue and white. Averaging north of 20 points per game in his 2023-24 campaign specifically, it's hard to argue against Reeves as one of the portal greats, in spite of Kentucky's program-changing loss at the end of that season specifically.
Reeves was a big-game guy in Lexington, scoring 20+ points in 29 games with Kentucky. He was another one of those late-tenure Calipari snags that showed fans just how impactful the transfer portal could be if used properly.
His 44.7% clip from three was more than enough, but Reeves' four rebounds per game in his last season proved that he was a player willing to do more than "get his." Reeves is a sleeper killer of Kentucky's past, and one that has since found a seemingly stable spot in the NBA.
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