The Wildcats continue to dominate the transfer portal
Mark Pope isn’t just bringing in his first five-star Kentucky recruit in Jasper Johnson next season—he’s surrounding the young star with a deep group of seasoned transfers, many of whom were among the most sought-after players available.
Much like his initial roster build after taking over from John Calipari, Pope is once again leaning on the portal to shape next season’s team. But this time, it’s a mix of necessity and strategy, combining elite freshmen with experienced veterans to create a balanced squad.
Several of these incoming transfers were highly coveted, earning Kentucky the No. 1 transfer portal class according to On3. Michigan followed closely behind, with Texas—the next highest-ranked SEC school—coming in third.
The biggest addition for the Wildcats is Jayden Quaintance from Arizona State, ranked No. 4 overall in the portal. Jaland Lowe and Mouhamed Dioubate were both top-70 prospects, while Kam Williams and Denzel Aberdeen were top-100 players on the move.
Quaintance and Dioubate are expected to play major roles in the frontcourt, especially with Andrew Carr’s departure creating a gap. Lowe, meanwhile, is projected to step up as a key scoring threat, helping to fill the void left by Lamont Butler.
While Kentucky has some significant holes to patch, the mix of Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson, and a strong returning core positions the Wildcats to be just as competitive—if not better—than they were this past season under Pope’s leadership.
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