Kentucky
Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Jasper Johnson are Brandon Garrison going portaling
The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until Tuesday, April 7, but players are already announcing their plans — over 500 so far, in fact. On Kentucky’s end, Jaland Lowe was the first, announcing on March 28 that he would head elsewhere. Since then, it’s been crickets, but Jasper Johnson and Brandon Garrison quickly changed that, with news breaking of their plans to transfer happening within an hour of each other on Friday.
More announcements could be on the way before Tuesday. We’re still waiting on decisions from seven Wildcats, eight if you include Jayden Quaintance, who is expected to enter the NBA Draft, but has yet to officially declare. Redshirt big man Reece Potter has publicly stated that he will run it back in Lexington. Mark Pope got his first 2026 commit this week in four-star point guard Mason Williams, the son of former NBA All-Star Mo Williams, who will also come to Kentucky as an assistant coach.
It could be a newsy weekend. KSR will be tracking all of Kentucky’s offseason roster movements. Consider this your one-stop shop for all roster additions and departures.
GRADUATED (2)
PORTAL DEPARTURES (3)
REMAINING ELIGIBILITY – STATUS UNKNOWN (8)
EXPECTED RETURNERS (1)
HS SIGNEES (1)
PORTAL ADDITIONS: N/A
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 7: Transfer Portal Opens
- April 21: Transfer Portal Closes
- 60 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Deadline
- May 8-10: NBA G League Combine (Chicago)
- May 10: NBA Draft Lottery
- May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine (Chicago)
- May 27: NCAA Division I Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
- 10 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
- Late June: 2026 NBA Draft (Date not announced)
Take advantage of our KSR+ SPRING SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including the latest intel on Kentucky’s efforts in the Transfer Portal, Spring Football, and the search for a new Athletic Director — plus a year of access to The Athletic. Annual subscriptions are 50% off for a limited time.
UPDATES
April 3: Brandon Garrison joins Johnson in the portal
- After two seasons with the Wildcats as the team’s backup center, Garrison will look for a starting job going into his final college season.
April 3: Jasper Johnson will enter the Transfer Portal
- Mark Pope‘s highest-ranked recruit of all time will look for a fresh start elsewhere after an up-and-down freshman season.
- The other finalists in his high school recruitment were Alabama and North Carolina.
March 30: Mo Williams to join staff as assistant
- Expected to join his son, Mason, in Lexington, filling one of the vacant assistant coaching positions
- Head coach at Jackson State (2022-26) and Alabama State (2020-22), Assistant coach at Cal State Northridge (2018-20)
- Played 13 seasons in the NBA for 7 different franchises; NBA All-Star (2009), NBA Champion (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016)
March 28: Jaland Lowe will enter the Transfer Portal
- Leaving UK after one season, which was cut short by a shoulder injury.
March 27: Associate head coach Alvin Brooks will not return next season
March 27: 4-star Mason Williams commits to Kentucky
- Son of former NBA All-Star/current Jackson State head coach Mo Williams
- 6-foot-2 point guard ranked No. 124 overall in the 2026 recruiting class by Rivals
- Held offers from Ole Miss, Jackson State, Memphis, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin, Washington, and Texas Tech
- Averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per outing in 2025-26 while shooting 41.2 percent from deep (8-game sample size)
March 26: Keegan Brown announced as Director of Roster Management
- Worked with Mark Pope for five seasons at BYU
- Most recently worked as head video coordinator of the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate.
March 24: Jason Hart leaves for SMU
- Left Kentucky after two seasons to become the associate head coach under Andy Enfield
- Lead recruiter for Dink Pate and Tyran Stokes
There is an old saying that there is no such thing as a minor procedure when it happens to you. But that’s exactly what happened over the spring football season as top transfer Lance Heard had surgery on an undisclosed injury that was deemed “minor.”
While Kentucky did not release what exactly the big left tackle had surgery on, anytime you are down your starting left tackle over Spring is not ideal. The good news is Heard has plenty of SEC experience, starting at LSU before transferring to Tennessee.
The biggest thing for an offensive line is reps, but offensive coordinator Joe Sloan told KSR he was happy with what he was seeing.
“You’re starting to see them work really well together, and they have an opportunity to be a strength of our team.” If that comes to fruition, Kentucky will have a really good year. As for the fans, expect a different style this year in Kroger Field.
Kentucky’s offense will be different
Under Mark Stoops, the calling card became a physical offensive line, a punishing run scheme, and a ball control style. That offense will be very different this year, not because of a shift away from the run game, but because there will be a lot more chances taken.
Sometimes, that is a good thing, and other times it causes turnovers. Will Stein said he never called a play he didn’t think would score a touchdown. That aggressive style is what will define Stein’s time in Lexington. He chose a defensive coordinator known for dialing up the blitz. He has gone after nearly all the top recruits, and he isn’t backing down from saying he expects to be the best head coach in the country.
Will it work? I don’t know, but I do know it will look different than what Mark Stoops was putting out. But it all depends on the health of the key players Stein brought in, and that starts with a healthy offensive line.
Kentucky
Kentucky Colonels executive to speak at Florence Rotary Club on Monday, public welcome to register
Ohio tornado warnings: what residents should know
Severe storms June 17 in Ohio: know tornado watch vs. warning, safety steps, shelters and alerts.
A tornado was confirmed to have ripped through the Florence area during the overnight storms June 18.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington released a statement June 20 saying a tornado traveled eastward 6.2 miles across the Northern Kentucky city, 10 miles south of Cincinnati. It had estimated peak winds of 100 mph, which classifies it as an EF1 “moderate” tornado on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The tornado’s path goes mostly through residential areas, and the first evidence was found on Landings Way where several trees were snapped at their trunks, the weather service reported.
The tornado progressed east, crossing Interstate 71/75 and then seemingly dissipating on Tallwood Circle where multiple large branches were downed, the final known instance of damage.
Along the way, the tornado uprooted multiple trees and snapped branches, damaged several buildings and businesses, and snapped a large power pole near the intersection of U.S. 42 and Dream Street, according to the weather service.
How many tornadoes have been confirmed in Greater Cincinnati, beyond?
As of 1 p.m. June 20, the weather service has confirmed that apart from the one in Florence, two other tornadoes touched down in Greater Cincinnati on June 18:
- An EF2 “significant” tornado that traveled about 9 miles from Dearborn County, Indiana, to Boone County, Kentucky.
- An EF2 “significant” tornado that traveled just over 5 miles from Franklin County, Indiana, to Butler County, Ohio.
A few other tornadoes have been confirmed outside the Greater Cincinnati region, including an EF2 that traveled 23.6 miles from Scott County, Indiana, to Trimble County, Kentucky; an EF2 that traveled 9 miles across Pike County, Ohio; and one in Grant County, Kentucky, just north of Williamstown.
The weather service said details on the Grant County tornado will be released later on June 20.
-
Illinois6 minutes agoLake County detectives rescue girl from man they say drove to Illinois from Georgia to meet her
-
Indiana13 minutes agoUS Education Department Oks Indiana Waiver To ‘Streamline’ Education Spending
-
Iowa16 minutes agoEmmy-winning TV anchor gets choked up as he quits job and journalism — and slams his station live on air
-
Kansas21 minutes agoKansas City Symphony and Michelle Cann Perform Uplifting Concert Featuring a Variety of American Styles and Voices. – KC STUDIO
-
Kentucky28 minutes agoTop Kentucky Football transfer Lance Heard had minor spring procedure
-
Louisiana31 minutes agoLouisiana ranks next to last for working dads, according to WalletHub report
-
Maine36 minutes ago4-year-old girl flown to hospital after near drowning at hotel pool in Maine
-
Maryland43 minutes ago
Piper PA-28 crashes in Maryland, killing all three Israeli occupants | The Jerusalem Post
