Mark Pope is officially working towards building his third roster in Lexington. We have already seen several names pop up on the radar as early targets, but as the Transfer Portal prepares to officially open next week, it is time to stop guessing and start predicting.
We are here to call our shot and let you know exactly who to expect to sign with Kentucky during the early days of the portal window.
Lamont Butler parlayed a transfer from San Diego State to Kentucky into an absolute career year. Under Mark Pope's system, the point guard saw career-best numbers in points, shooting percentage, and assists per game, while miraculously shooting a career-high 39 percent from deep.
Because of that undeniable developmental success, it is easy to see why defending Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year Miles Byrd would be highly interested in following the pipeline to Lexington.
And that elite defensive intensity is exactly why Kentucky is interested in him. Byrd is a 6-foot-6 wing who operates as a legitimate defensive stopper. The offensive side of the floor is still a question mark, but as a solid role player, Byrd would immediately help fix the massive struggles Kentucky had with stopping dribble-drives all season long.
The former Central Hardin High School star is finally going to make his way back to the Bluegrass to play for coach Mark Pope.
Last year's Kentucky team had just one single shooter who shot over 37% from beyond the arc (Collin Chandler). You are simply not going to win a lot of basketball games in the modern era with that kind of abysmal perimeter production. Enter Brett Decker Jr. The Liberty transfer shot a scorching 47 percent from deep while averaging 16 points a game last season.
He is not a point guard, so Mark Pope has to keep that in mind when filling out the rest of the roster, no more Denzel Aberdeen at point repeat, but Decker's elite floor-spacing ability is an absolute must-have for this current coaching staff.
This is a classic case of a coach circling back to get his guy. Riley was a player that Mark Pope aggressively wanted a year ago, and this time around, he is going to finally land him.
Riley will bring a highly efficient offensive game to Rupp Arena. He doesn't need a massive volume of shots to get his points, averaging 12 points a game on a hyper-efficient 47 percent shooting from the floor last season. He is also another long, athletic wing that brings much-needed defensive versatility to the Wildcats' rotation.
There will certainly be more names to come as the portal chaos unfolds, but expect these three players to be the first wave of commitments for Mark Pope's rebuild after Jasper Johnson and Brandon Garrison have officially exited.