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Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: And then there were none

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Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: And then there were none


Just like that, Mark Pope has a completely clean slate entering his debut season at Kentucky. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell were already certainties, followed by Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Ugonna Onyenso all entering the draft while Adou Thiero, Aaron Bradshaw, Joey Hart, Zvonimir Ivisic and DJ Wagner all hit the transfer portal.

That left just one player from the 2023-24 roster under John Calipari: Jordan Burks.

The former three-star recruit then made what we all expected official on Friday, entering the portal and exploring his transfer options, bringing that leftover total down to zero.

To take it a step further, Jayden Quaintance, Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, Billy Richmond and Somto Cyril are all free agents again after backing away from their Kentucky commitments, Travis Perry remaining as the lone signee for Pope. You feel good about him sticking around — “There is a good chance he will not jump into the portal,” the new head coach said of the state’s all-time leading scorer at his introductory press conference — but he still technically has a decision to make on his future.

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The one guarantee? 2022 four-star guard Collin Chandler, who announced his commitment to Kentucky on April 16. The former top-40 prospect is coming off a two-year mission and will make his college debut in 2024-25.

Now it’s time for Pope to fill out the rest of the roster his way, bringing in his own talent from the transfer portal. The rest of Calipari’s pool is looking elsewhere.

GONE (GRADUATED/NBA DRAFT)Antonio ReevesTre MitchellJustin EdwardsRob DillinghamUgonna OnyensoReed Sheppard

TRANSFER PORTALAdou Thiero*, Aaron Bradshaw*, Joey HartZvonimir IvisicDJ Wagner, Jordan Burks

* Also testing NBA Draft waters

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IMPORTANT DATES

  • April 27: NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
  • May 1: Transfer Portal Closes
  • May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
  • May 13-19: NBA Combine
  • May 29: NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline (11:59 pm ET)
  • June 16: NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)
  • June 26: NBA Draft 2024 First Round
  • June 27: NBA Draft 2024 Second Round

Want more Kentucky Basketball roster intel? Join the KSR Club for access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.


UPDATES

April 20: Kentucky contacts Duke’s Sean Stewart

  • Kentucky joins Kansas State, Indiana, Arkansas, USC, Florida State, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Arizona State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Baylor, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Cal, Stanford, South Carolina, Washington, Howard, UCSB and Harvard to express interest
  • Was the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle
  • The 6-9 freshman out of Windermere, Florida averaged 2.6 points and 3.2 rebounds in just 8.4 minutes per game this season for the Blue Devils

April 20: Drexel star Amari Williams begins official visit to Lexington

  • The 6-10, 265-pound forward will make the trip to Lexington from April 20-22
  • Kentucky is a finalist, joining St. John’s and Mississippi State
  • Mark Pope met with Williams on Thursday

April 19: Jordan Burks enters the transfer portal

  • Averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per outing as a freshman
  • Was a three-star recruit in high school out of Overtime Elite
  • The 6-8 forward only saw at least 10 minutes in seven of his 20 games played

April 19: Adou Thiero cuts list to five, includes Kentucky

  • Previously entering the portal on March 28, the 6-8 forward is now considering Kentucky, North Carolina, Pitt, Indiana and Arkansas

April 19: Kentucky makes final six for Villanova’s TJ Bamba

April 19: Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo hears from the Wildcats

April 18: Reed Sheppard declares or the NBA Draft

  • The star guard is the No. 7 overall prospect in ESPN’s list of best available draft prospects
  • He has decided to forgo the remainder of his college eligibility
  • “I’m going all-in,” Sheppard told ESPN. “The opportunity I have is great. I’ve gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It’s not easy leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I need to do what’s best for me, and that’s heading to the NBA.”

April 18: BYU’s Aly Khalifa commits to Louisville over Kentucky

  • The 6-11, 270-pound center out of Alexandria, Egypt announced three finalists on Sunday: Kentucky, Louisville and BYU
  • Khalifa averaged 5.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game on 38.6/31.5/62.1 shooting splits
  • Originally entered portal on April 12 with a ‘do not contact’ tag, visited Louisville this week
  • He will be redshirting in 2023-24 while rehabbing a knee injury

April 18: Kentucky reaches out to Texas Tech’s Pop Isaacs

April 18: Former McDonald’s All-American Brandon Garrison plans visit to Lexington

April 17: Kentucky “will be involved” for Duke’s Jeremy Roach

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  • Roach has appeared in 130 games throughout his career at Duke, including 108 starts. He was a team captain as a junior and senior.
  • He averaged 14 points, 3.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 32.7 minutes per outing this season on 46.8/42.9/84.4 splits
  • Jeff Goodman reports Baylor is the favorite to land his commitment

April 17: Belmont’s Cade Tyson hears from Mark Pope

  • One of the top shooters in the portal
  • Averaged 16.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.6 APG on 49.3% FG, 46.5% 3PT this year
  • Tyson previously heard from Kentucky’s staff under John Calipari

April 16: Utah State’s Great Osobor contacted by Kentucky

  • On3’s Joe Tipton reports that Osobor has been in contact with the Wildcats
  • Checks in at 6-foot-8, 250 pounds. Averaged 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in 2023-24
  • Was tabbed the Mountain West Player of the Year this past season

April 16: Oklahoma’s Otega Oweh hears from Pope

  • Pope reached out to Oweh this week, according to KSR+’s Jacob Polacheck
  • The 6-foot-4, 210-pound combo guard averaged 11.4 points and 3.8 rebounds, playing in 32 games for Oklahoma as a sophomore in 2023-24
  • He started in 28 games and averaged 24.8 minutes per contest
  • Oweh is set to visit Oregon on April 19 and Texas A&M on April 23

April 16: Kentucky contacts Dayton transfer Koby Brea

  • Pope reaches out to Brea on Tuesday evening, the combo guard tells Jacob Polacheck of KSR+.
  • 6-foot-5, 175-pound combo guard who averaged 11.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 33 games as a junior in 2023-24.
  • Started four games while averaging 29.1 minutes per outing. Shot 49.8 percent from deep on 201 attempts this past season.
  • Also heard from the likes of Kansas, UConn, Duke, Indiana, Arkansas, Louisville, and many more.

April 16: Pope reaches out to Stanford’s Andrej Stojakovic

  • The son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic has heard from Kentucky, he told KSR+’s Jacob Polacheck
  • Stojakovic averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 40.9% from the field and 32.7% from three as a freshman at Stanford
  • He is currently scheduled to visit Cal this weekend

April 16: Collin Chandler commits to Kentucky

  • The 6-4 scorer is rated as the No. 34 overall prospect and No. 6 combo guard in the final 2022 On3 Player Rankings
  • Chandler spent two years on mission ahead of his college basketball debut in 2024-25
  • 2022 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals as a senior in high school
  • Committed to BYU over Arizona, Gonzaga, Oregon, Stanford and Utah, among others

April 15: Ugonna Onyenso declares for the NBA Draft

  • “I’m ready to go to the next level,” Onyenso told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I’m not thinking about coming back to play college basketball. I’m 100% focused on the NBA.”
  • Onyenso averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 19 minutes per contest this past season
  • The 7-foot center is the No. 47 overall prospect in ESPN’s list of best available draft prospects
  • He signed with an agent, but did not officially shut the door for a return to college, despite making it clear he has no interest in coming back to school

April 15: Zvonimir Ivisic transfers to Arkansas

  • “I made the lifetime decision to come to college for a few reasons,” Ivisic announced. “Main one’s to win a national championship and go to the NBA. Monumental part of that decision was Coach Cal, and no one does both of those at the same time than him. That’s why I am excited to announce that I am committing to Coach Cal and the Arkansas Razorbacks!”
  • Ivisic racked up 15 total appearances in Lexington, averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 57.7% from the field and 37.5% from three.

April 15: Aaron Bradshaw commits to Ohio State

  • Bradshaw took an official visit to Columbus over the weekend and announced his commitment to open the week on Monday.
  • The former top-five recruit was the first portal entry for the Wildcats to commit elsewhere
  • He originally entered the transfer portal on April 8 while also testing the draft waters
  • The 7-foot-1 freshman averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game this season while shooting 57.6% from the field.

April 15: DJ Wagner enters transfer portal

  • The 6-foot-3 former five-star recruit averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 25.8 minutes per game for Kentucky this past season
  • 247Sports’ Travis Branham says Wagner will consider a return to Kentucky and meet with Mark Pope while also considering entering the 2024 NBA Draft

April 15: Northern Illinois transfer David Coit hears from the Wildcats

  • Kentucky joins TCU, Louisville, Utah, Washington State and Oregon State as schools to reach out, according to The Portal Report
  • Averaged 20.8 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game
  • 40.7% FG, 33.7% 3PT, 88.5% FT

April 14: Kentucky schedules visit with Drexel transfer Amari Williams

  • Williams is a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All-CAA member in 2023-24
  • He averaged 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game as a senior, shooting 51.7% from the field and 65.5% at the line
  • He is considered the 18th-best available player in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings and will have one year of eligibility remaining as a graduate transfer

April 14: Kentucky reaches out to Oklahoma State transfer Javon Small

  • Kansas, Miami, Indiana, Texas and Louisville are other schools with mutual interest, sources tell KSR
  • Averaged 15.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.1 APG, shooting 44% overall last season
  • Set to take official visit to Miami this week

April 12: BYU’s Jaxson Robinson becomes name to know for Kentucky

  • The 6-7 guard averaged a team-high 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per outing.
  • He shot 42.6 percent from the field, 35.4 percent from deep (6.9 attempts per game), and 90.8 percent from the free throw line.
  • KSR has learned Robinson is a potential portal addition with Kentucky seen as the likely destination should he enter, following Pope to Lexington

April 9: Rob Dillingham enters the NBA Draft, forgoes remaining eligibility

  • Dillingham’s time in Lexington comes to a close with a season average of 15.2 points, 3.9 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5% from the field and 44.4% from three.
  • He is currently the No. 4 overall prospect in ESPN’s list of best-available players in the 2024 draft

April 8: Joey Hart enters the transfer portal

  • The 6-5 sharpshooter out of Linton, IN plans to transfer as a redshirt freshman after playing just ten minutes in his debut season as a Wildcat.
  • He scored three points in Lexington — a made 3-pointer in Kentucky’s win over Marshall back on November 24.

April 4: Justin Edwards enters the NBA Draft

  • The former five-star wing becomes the first player to forgo his time at Kentucky and enter the NBA Draft
  • He is currently rated as the No. 30 overall prospect in ESPN’s list of best available players in the draft pool, good for third on the team behind Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard

March 28: Adou Thiero enters transfer portal, will test NBA Draft Waters





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Kentucky

No. 2 Kentucky sets school record with 21st SEC win

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No. 2 Kentucky sets school record with 21st SEC win


LEXINGTON, Ky. – Ryan Waldschmidt could not be contained and neither could No. 2 Kentucky as it defeated Vanderbilt 10-5 at Kentucky Proud Park on Thursday as it pulled ever so close to the second Southeastern Conference regular season championship in school history. In the meantime, UK’s 21st victory in league play set a new high-water mark in school history.

The Cats (38-11, 21-7) saw their magic number dwindle to one, meaning one victory in their final two games seals at least a share of the title.

Vanderbilt made the 4,384 fans hold their breath with a home run on the first pitch of the game but UK struck for three runs of its own in the first in a quintessential Wildcats inning that featured extra base hit, bunts, sacrifices, walks and the offensive pressure it has become known for in recent years.

Two innings later, Waldschmidt belted a two-out, three-run homer off the TV tower beyond centerfield to blow the game open and chase the Commodores’ starter. Nick Lopez later added a homer and birthday boy Mitchell Daly collected his 200th career collegiate hit as part of an active evening on both sides of the ball.

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On Friday, UK will honor its graduates as well as go through Senior Night ceremonies before the game.



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How is extreme weather impacting home insurance rates in Kentucky?

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How is extreme weather impacting home insurance rates in Kentucky?


LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT)—Kentucky has had its share of bad weather over the last several years, which is partially why homeowners insurance rates have been on the rise.

“It first started with COVID, and you know, the cost of supplies and demand on labor rates and that sort of thing, and then right after COVID, we started seeing these really bad wind and hail storms coming through Kentucky,” said Renee Jackson, a Lexington insurance agency owner.

Due to both the pandemic and bad weather, there is a new normal when it comes to insurance rates.

“We used to look at rates for clients being a little abnormal if they were 10 percent or higher of the increase renewal. Now, we are looking at if it’s 18 to 20 percent is really when we start looking at shopping our client’s rates and that sort of thing,” said Jackson.

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Jackson says one way to prevent major rate increases is to file claims only on significant damage.

“A windstorm came through, and I have to replace my roof. A roof replacement is $20,000. That’s when you want to file a claim. Keep the small things to yourself and let the insurance company deal with the large things because when you file the small things, you’re going to see even higher insurance increases on your premium and you don’t want that to happen,” Jackson said.

Jackson thinks that hiking insurance rates should cool, but the weather will play a big role in that fate.

“I think the insurance companies have a good handle of what’s going on. As long as we don’t have any more storms come through Kentucky in the next year, I think you’re going to see your rates leveling off. You’re not going to see the increases like you did before,” Jackson said.

According to a study from Deloitte, Kentucky is among 21 US states at high risk of climate impacts.

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PGA Championship begins with sunshine and soft turf at Valhalla in Kentucky

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PGA Championship begins with sunshine and soft turf at Valhalla in Kentucky


LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A PGA Championship filled with various layers of intrigue began Thursday after a 10-minute delay for fog, which quickly gave way to sunshine and a morning that figures to set the tone for Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth.

Weather has been an issue all week, with rain at times closing Valhalla Golf Club for brief periods during two days of practice.

McIlroy returns to the site of his last major 10 years ago that also was marked by weather when a two-hour rain delay on Sunday caused him to play into the group ahead so that he could finish before dark.

He starts this major just two days after news broke that he was getting divorced from his wife of seven years. McIlroy cut short his interview to 10 minutes with a request that all questions be related only to golf. Asked about his energy and how he was feeling, McIlroy said curtly, “I’m ready to play this week.”

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Woods also is a past champion at Valhalla from 24 years ago, when he was younger and before back surgeries, knee surgeries and a 2021 car crash. He is playing for only the third time this year.

Spieth is playing alongside defending champion Brooks Koepka. At stake for Spieth, again, is a chance to become the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam if he can hoist the Wanamaker Trophy at the end of the week.

Koepka only has two legs of the Grand Slam, but his major count already is at five.

“I’m just looking forward to a major championship,” Koepka said. “That kind of gets my excitement going.”

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, is among the few stars playing in the afternoon on a course that is soft and susceptible to low scoring. Scheffler hasn’t competed in three weeks, staying home in Dallas for the impending birth of his first child. A son they named Bennett was born May 8.

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He still comes into Valhalla with a load of momentum — four wins in his last five starts, one of them a second Masters green jacket, the exception a runner-up finish in Houston.

Being at home gave him time to reflect, and it was all good.

“I married my high school sweetheart and I always wanted to play professional golf, and now I’m here,” Scheffler said. “I was sitting there with a newborn in my arms and the green jacket in the closet. It was a pretty special time.

“The competitiveness in me doesn’t let me reflect too much. And I was trying to do my best to get ready to play this week.”

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

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