No Kentucky head coach has ever made it to year four of their tenure withoutat least making an Elite 8. This will be Mark Pope's third season, and unless he wants to make a truly ugly historic mark, the portal will have to be especially kind to Kentucky this time around.
Although, now nearly one week into the cycle, the Kentucky staff is operating in a War Room-like environment, balancing dozens of Zoom calls in an effort to close deals on the nation's most elite prospects on every level.
That shift starts with the arrival of Tyran Stokes. The consensus No. 1 recruit in the country is set for a campus visit tomorrow, and his decision remains the most crucial of the offseason for Kentucky. The Wildcats' roster is going to be pretty much brand new next season, and they remain without a surefire "top dog," or cat, if you will. Mark Pope is working 24/7 to try and build a recruiting class capable of preventing a third straight double-digit loss campaign. Here's what you have to know:
The Kentucky Basketball Big Board
First on the list are the ones that have taken themselves off of the board, with three transfer-outs having already committed elsewhere:
- Andrija Jelavic: Ohio State
- Denzel Aberdeen: Florida
- Collin Chandler: BYU
Jaland Lowe, Mo Dioubate, and Jasper Johnson are still navigating through the portal craziness themselves, but are likely to join their former teammates in confirmed splits soon. The most comprehensive bunch remains the one of Kentucky's possible replacements.
Trent Noah is now the only player still in Lexington from Pope's first team, surprisingly enough, and he's also the only name on the current roster who hasn't made an official declaration regarding his portal status. Only time will tell the fate of the Kentucky native and fan-favorite.
The Targets (Still Available)
- Rob Wright (BYU): 6'1" PG | 18.1 PPG, 41% 3PT.
- Zoom Diallo (Washington): 6'4" PG | 15.7 PPG, 4.5 APG.
- Devin Vanterpool (FAU): 6'4" SG | 15.8 PPG, AAC Most Improved.
- Donnie Freeman (Syracuse): 6'9" PF | 16.5 PPG, 7.2 REB.
- Eric Reibe (UConn): 7'1" C | National Runner-up, 65.8% FG.
- Finley Bizjack (Butler): 6'4" CG | 17.1 PPG, All-Big East.
- Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon): 6'10" PF | 13.3 PPG, 7.4 REB.
- DeSean Goode (Robert Morris): 6'8" PF | 15.2 PPG, 8.7 REB.
- Anthony Robinson II (Missouri): 6'3" PG | 8.9 PPG, All-SEC Defense.
- Terrence Brown (Utah): 6'3" CG | 19.9 PPG, 45% FG.
- Terrence Hill Jr. (VCU): 6'3" PG | 15.0 PPG, A-10 Defensive POY.
- Paulius Murauskas (St. Mary’s): 6'8" PF | 18.4 PPG, All-WCC.
- Neoklis Avdalas (Virginia Tech): 6'9" SG | 12.1 PPG, 4.6 APG.
- Bryce Lindsay (Villanova): 6'3" SG | 12.3 PPG, 35% 3PT.
Essentially, there isn't a position on the court that Kentucky isn't recruiting. The Cats need a little bit of everything, and with a list like the one above of targets - whether simply contacted or actively recruited - Coach Pope clearly understands that assignment.
High School/Euro Targets
Lastly, let by the aforementioned Stokes, is a much smaller assortment of both high school and European players that the Wildcats remain at least remotely in the conversation for:
In addition to all of these players and possibilities, Kentucky hiring assistant coach Mo Williams and signing his four-star point guard son is a move that should help both on and off the court, serving a sort of double-edged positivity to the start of the offseason that's still working to satiate the Big Blue Nation even now.
Expect a lot of pieces to fall into place by the time next Sunday rolls around, no matter what. It's going to be a non-stop news week in the meantime, too, so be sure to stay tuned to our Transfer Portal Tracker for all the latest updates on Kentucky's ongoing efforts!