The transfer portal, this far into the offseason, often goes quiet. Most teams are nearly complete by this point, with a few big names and high-ceiling prospects straggling as programs look to finalize rosters. Kentucky is one of the few teams with plenty of money left to spend and a handful of needs that still need to be met.
In landing Franck Kepnang over the weekend, Mark Pope addressed the Wildcats' opening at the backup five spot. That is, so long as Malachi Moreno comes back from the NBA Draft - we'll figure that out soon.
Either way, Kepnang is a veteran big and go-getter rebounder that should serve well as a reliable depth piece in Lexington. The catch, though, was that he's entering his seventh year of college hoops. After dealing with knee injuries almost constantly, the big was seeking a hardship waiver from the NCAA to play another year.
Like clockwork, per Pete Nakos, he got it. Kepnang is officially eligible to hold down the fort in the paint for Kentucky in the 2026-27 season.
Kepnang has received multiple NCAA medical hardships and is eligible for the 2026-27 season.https://t.co/uOWMfDRMry https://t.co/avIbtimQrd
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) May 11, 2026
Franck Kepnang is Eligible to Compete
Coming off of a season with the Washington Huskies in which he managed to play 27 games, Kepnang appears to be on the up-and-up regarding his consistent health issues. If he can stay on the floor, Kentucky fans should be thrilled with his output.
Kepnang averaged 2.1 blocks this past season (second in the Big Ten), as well as 6.3 rebounds and 6.2 points. He's a dirty work kind of guy that'll get down low and do what needs to be done. But he can also fly high; take a look at this dunk against Iowa, posted by Matt Jones on X:
They called this a charge on Kentucky’s future big but it was still awesome pic.twitter.com/k7SBzmGxgh
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) May 9, 2026
Did it count? No. Does that matter? To me, also no. It was an interesting call (to say the least) that took what could've been one of the nastiest dunks of the season from Kepnang. Now in the blue and white, Cats fans can look out for this sort of lethal rim-running on a nightly basis.
Kepnang raises the floor of Kentucky's roster, and especially the second unit, by a significant measure. Taking flyers on high-ceiling young talent can pay off in spades, but sometimes, it's equally efficient to secure a guy who has done this for years.
The Wildcats' frontcourt appears essentially complete, and it'd have been hard to ask for a better final piece to the puzzle than Kepnang. A dawg-turned-Cat.
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