Kentucky, following the commitment of Zoom Diallo at the point guard spot, got to take a much needed breath in the midst of transfer portal mania. Mark Pope definitely deserves credit for satisfactorily addressing his biggest problem from this past season, for sure.
All the same, the noise of that success has since died down in favor of the Cats' updated list of targets. Chief among them is Donnie Freeman who, in spite of leaving Lexington without a commitment earlier this week, Kentucky seems to be in good standing with.
In another recent bout of promising news, Jeff Goodman went as far as to make a public guess on X as to Freeman's ultimate destination. Big Blue Nation, we may be in for some good news.
Making an Educated Guess
In what he calls an "educated guess," Goodman called his shot for Freeman to Kentucky, alongside another shot in the form of Nik Khamenia to UConn. This is double good news for Cats fans, as UConn had initially been set to host Freeman following his visit to Lexington. That visit, interestingly enough, has since been canceled.
While Alabama still looms as a potential suitor for Freeman, Kentucky's chances certainly improved after the Huskies seemingly dropped out of the race. Now, it's a Nate Oats vs. Mark Pope showdown for arguably the portal's best forward.
We've seen this battle before, although the circumstances were a measure different.
Keen Cats fans will remember that Jasper Johnson's recruitment also came down to the Wildcats and the Crimson Tide, with Kentucky winning out in what looked like a real upset, at the time. Regardless of how that one turned out, Pope has come out on top in this space before.
In Freeman, he'd be securing the perfect stretch four for an offensive system that thrives with a piece like that in place.
A Potential Perfect Piece
Scoring 16.5 points and nabbing seven boards per contest in his most recent campaign with Syracuse, Freeman led the Orange as a clear high-major prospect from the jump. Entering his junior year, the forward appears to be prepped to take a leap into further NBA Draft consideration.
He'll make an undeniable impact wherever he lands and, paired with the aforementioned Diallo, the two would form about as strong a start as Kentucky could've hoped for in the portal.
The case is far from closed, but the Wildcats are more than in the loop for Freeman. Pope, among all his targets, needs to go above and beyond to close on this one.
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