3 transfer portal guards Kentucky basketball needs to add to replace Reed and Rob

Kentucky had the best freshman backcourt in the country last year, but freshmen don't win in March anymore. John Calipari's team needs to get older and replace Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham with veteran guards through the transfer portal.

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA;  Florida Atlantic Owls guard Johnell Davis (1) shoots over
March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Florida Atlantic Owls guard Johnell Davis (1) shoots over | Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
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After Yale beat Auburn in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, the Bulldogs and Danny Wolf became the story of the Ivy League, but Malik Mack could be the best Ivy League player in the transfer portal. He was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.2 points, 4.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds a game. 

The 6-foot-1 freshman guard is a dynamic scorer in the pick-and-roll with a variety of different finishes around the rim and a decent floater game when he can’t get there. He can also pull up from three if the defenders go under, and he shot it at 34.1% and that will likely improve for the 81.3% free throw shooter. 

The best part about Mack is that he’s not just a ball-dominant point guard. Mack is an excellent off-ball scorer, who frequently navigates screens for catch-and-shoot looks. He averages 0.88 points per possession as a pick-and-roll ball-handler (74th percentile) and 1.04 ppp on spot-ups (72nd percentile). 

If Wagner comes back, Mack would be the perfect dose of scoring pop next to him, but with only one season of experience and that experience coming in the Ivy League, he doesn’t solve the team’s lack of veterans.