Kentucky

Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa join the show

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Koby Brea and Kerr Kriisa join the show

Mark Pope’s debut roster in Lexington is coming together in a hurry, Kentucky adding not one but two commitments in a matter of hours on Wednesday. Dayton’s Koby Brea got things rolling to start the day, followed by a surprise pledge from West Virginia’s Kerr Kriisa.

Brea joins the program as the nation’s top 3-point shooter, someone Pope referred to as a “dangerous, dangerous man” at the time of his signing. He knocked down 49.8% of his threes on 6.1 attempts per contest a year ago, leading college basketball in effective field goal percentage among guards at 71.5% and was second in true shooting percentage among guards at 72.2%.

“By the numbers, Koby Brea is the most efficient mid-to-high major player in college basketball in the last decade,” Pope said. “He’s the best returning shooter in college basketball next year. … He will be key in allowing us to play the style of basketball that we love the most.”

As for Kriisa, he’s a knockdown shooter in his own right at 42.4% from three on 6.3 attempts per contest this past season. The 6-3 guard averaged a career-high 11.0 points to go with 4.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest on 42.9% shooting during his lone season in Morgantown and fourth year of college basketball after starting at Arizona.

Entering this past weekend with just three players, the Wildcats now have nine signed on for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

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

May 1: Koby Brea, Kerr Kriisa commit to Kentucky

Brea chose the Wildcats over UConn, Kansas, Duke and North Carolina coming off an official visit to Lexington
Kriisa averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds at West Virginia in 2023-24
The 6-3 guard shot 42.4% from three on 6.3 attempts per game

May 1: Utah State’s Great Osobor cuts Kentucky from his list

Will now consider Louisville, Texas Tech and Washington
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

May 1: Utah’s Deivon Smith reportedly cuts Kentucky, down to three

The standout guard is down to St. John’s, Washington and West Virginia, according to Matt Norlander
Was set to visit Lexington, but dealt with reported transcript issues during admissions process, breaking down conversations between the two sides
Averaged 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 29.5 minutes per game in 2023-24

April 30: Minnesota’s Elijah Hawkins commits to Texas Tech

5-foot-11 point guard averaged 9.5 points and 7.5 assists per game in 2023-24, tied for the most in the Big Ten.
Last year he shot 37.6% from three and scored in double figures 18 times on a Minnesota team that finished with 19 wins.
Was rumored to be down to Kentucky and Texas Tech before the Red Raiders secured his commitment during a visit

April 30: Oklahoma State’s Brandon Garrison commits to Kentucky

The 6-11 freshman averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this season, shooting 57.2% from the field
Visited Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma before choosing Kentucky without ever making the trip to Lexington

April 29: Dayton transfer Koby Brea visits Kentucky

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.
Originally heard from the Wildcats on April 16

April 29: Saint Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney commits to UConn

6-foot-3 guard chose the Huskies over Kentucky, Creighton and Virginia, among others
Averaged 13.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 33.3 minutes per game for Saint Mary’s this past season, starting all 34 games.
A two-time First Team All-WCC performer.

April 28: Wake Forest’s Andrew Carr picks Kentucky

Averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks in 32.5 minutes per outing for the Deamon Deacons in 2023-24. Started all 35 games played.
Also visited Texas Tech and Villanova before signing with UK

April 27: Otega Oweh, you are a Wildcat

Committed to Kentucky over Oregon after visiting Lexington earlier in the week.
Nicknamed “Otega-Tron” for his ability to transform into whatever kind of defender his team needed.
The fifth player on board for Kentucky’s 2024-25 roster.

April 27: Andrej Stojakovic commits to California

With a final three of Kentucky, North Carolina, and California, the West Coast native elected to stay close to home, choosing the Golden Bears.
A visit to Kentucky was reportedly in the works, but Stojakovic committed to California before he could make it to Lexington.
Averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per contest. He shot 40.9 percent from the floor, 32.7 percent from deep, and 52.8 percent from the line.
Son of longtime NBA veteran and three-time All-Star Peja Stojakovic.

April 27: BYU’s Jaxson Robinson enters the transfer portal

Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year this past season after posting per-game averages of 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 26.4 minutes per game.
Entered the NBA Draft on April 23
Says his recruitment is “100% open” should he decide to return to school, though Kentucky is seen as a heavy favorite to land his commitment

April 26: Lamont Butler commits to Kentucky

Another significant defensive piece for Mark Pope going into year one. Along with Williams, UK has five conference Defensive Player of the Year awards between them.
A trip to Las Vegas from Pope and Co. sealed the deal.
One year of eligibility remains for the point guard.

April 25: Miami’s Wooga Poplar added to contact list

6-foot-5 guard averaged 13.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 31.1 minutes this past season.
St. John’s, Kansas, Villanova, Temple, Ole Miss, Florida State, and Arizona State have also reached out.

April 23: Kentucky reaches out to Duke’s TJ Power

Played sparingly as a freshman last season, averaging just 2.1 points and 0.7 rebounds in seven minutes per outing across 26 appearances.
Arkansas, Michigan, BYU, Wake Forest, Southern California, Miami (FL), Notre Dame, West Virginia, Boston College, and Iowa have also reached.

April 23: Former Kentucky center Ugonna Onyenso enters transfer portal

Alabama, Oklahoma, Georgetown, Louisville, and Florida were among the first schools to reach out
The Crimson Tide have since emerged as the favorite to land his commitment
Originally declared for the NBA Draft on April 16, but was not included on the early entrant list

April 22: Collin Chandler signs with Kentucky, Travis Perry reaffirms commitment

Chandler committed to Kentucky on April 16 but was not announced as signed until almost a week later. The former BYU signee is officially a Wildcat.
The same day, Perry confirmed that he would join Kentucky for the 2024-25 season.

April 21: Amari Williams is a Wildcat

Defense was not a strength of Mark Pope’s teams at BYU. Defense is what his first significant transfer portal addition does best. Williams was a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year for Drexel.
Williams picked Kentucky over Mississippi State.
The 6-foot-10 big man made the decision after officially visiting Lexington this weekend.

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 19: Joey Hart commits to Ball State

The 6-5 sharpshooter out of Linton, IN entered the portal as a redshirt freshman on April 8 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.
Also considered Ole Miss, West Virginia and UCF before choosing Ball State

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 down to Kentucky, North Carolina, Pitt, Indiana and Arkansas
Took a visit to Pittsburgh — the hometown school

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

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 previously announced three finalists: 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
He will be redshirting in 2023-24 while rehabbing a knee injury

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: 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: 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
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

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 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.

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 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

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Kentucky

Where Kentucky turns following Donnie Freeman’s commitment to St. John’s

Published

5 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Where Kentucky turns following Donnie Freeman’s commitment to St. John’s

Kentucky quickly made its move on Syracuse star transfer Donnie Freeman in the portal, making immediate contact and hopping on a Zoom call before getting a visit scheduled for the following week. The Wildcats emerged as the likely landing spot, fighting off Alabama and UConn for his services — only for St. John’s and Tennessee to throw their hats into the ring and make their own late pushes going into the weekend.

There was serious optimism in Lexington that Mark Pope had batted down those Hail Mary throws by the Red Storm and Volunteers with a potential public commitment coming Sunday, only for the afternoon to turn into evening without a peep. Then came the late-night chatter that Rick Pitino had tossed another deep ball toward the end zone, an offer Freeman couldn’t refuse to ultimately land his services as the No. 19 overall player and No. 5 power forward in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings. Kentucky had its chance to keep the bidding war alive and potentially flip the momentum back, but the fat lady has officially sung.

That’s a tricky predicament for Pope and the Wildcats, who already passed on Colorado transfer and Florida State pledge Sebastian Rancik to continue their pursuit of Freeman. That came after Magoon Gwath (DePaul) and DeSean Goode (Miami (FL)), two other confirmed targets, committed elsewhere, along with the departures of Mo Dioubate (LSU) and Andrija Jelavic (Ohio State) from Pope’s second roster in Lexington.

So, uh, who is left for the Wildcats? Let’s separate the potential candidates into four categories.

“Gotta make Brad Stevens say no”

Two absolute gems remain at the position and could make all of the Pope Whiff doomers stop in their tracks: Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic and Santa Clara’s Allen Graves. You know both names because Kentucky played each of them in the NCAA Tournament, the former knocking the Wildcats out in the Round of 32 and the latter nearly doing so with a dagger in the final seconds of regulation — only to be topped by Otega Oweh’s half-court miracle at the buzzer.

They’re ranked No. 1 and No. 3 at the position, respectively, and are obvious home-run hits if UK can make contact. The issue? Despite entering the portal, they prefer to keep their names in the draft and will likely do so with first-round guarantees. A return to college isn’t impossible for either — Graves sits at No. 32 in ESPN’s latest draft rankings while Momcilovic comes in at No. 43 — but you won’t even get a meeting without $5M as a starting point, with the bidding likely finishing at or near the $6M mark. Are you ready to back up the Brinks truck? That’s the only option if you want the prized forwards.

Now, if you’re looking for better value, Saint Mary’s Paulius Murauskas and Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras are both technically available, sitting at No. 2 and 11 at the position, respectively. Kentucky has had exploratory conversations with both players — the latter was seen as a serious target this time last offseason, as well — and the talent is there. Murauskas averaged 18.4 PPG and 7.6 RPG on 48/33/84 splits with the Gaels this season and earned All-WCC honors in each of the last two years. That would do the trick. Folgueiras averaged 8.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 2.2 APG for the Hawkeyes, but is most famous for hitting the game-winning three to beat Florida in the NCAA Tournament. Maybe not a can’t-miss superstar, but pretty darn solid for a pivot.

But, heavy emphasis on technically available — because they both have On3 RPM picks in favor of other schools. Murauskas is projected to follow his former St. Mary’s coach, Randy Bennett, to Arizona State, while Folgueiras is expected to land at *sigh* Louisville. They haven’t made public commitments, but the clock is ticking and Pope would have to make up a lot of ground in a hurry.

Both are highly unlikely to wear the blue and white.

Realistic, but not a needle-mover

If you’re looking for somebody solid to join the fold, James Madison’s Justin McBride is the perfect candidate. Standing 6-7, 240 pounds following previous stops at Oklahoma State and Nevada, the versatile forward earned Third Team All-Sun Belt honors, averaging 15.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.5 APG on 49/40/78 splits as a junior in Harrisonburg. Before that, he averaged 7.8 PPG and 4.2 RPG as a sophomore with the Wolfpack and 2.5 PPG and 1.5 RPG as a freshman with the Cowboys.

Finding his fourth home in four years, McBride is scheduled to visit Lexington this week, he tells Jacob Polacheck of KSR+. That comes after a Zoom meeting with the staff last week.

He’s productive with experience as a journeyman, finally tapping into his potential as a former top-125 recruit out of high school after seeing his role increase as a junior. There is a lot to like there, but the idea was for the Plano, TX native to serve as a complementary plug-and-play backup, staggering minutes with the go-to starter. You absolutely take him, but with the idea that you still need much more.

Potential wildcards

No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes is trending heavily toward Kansas — and he’s also more of a jumbo wing capable of playing 1-4 more than a true power forward — but the conversation starts there in terms of obvious names to upgrade talent on a roster desperate for upgrades. Whatever it takes if you’re Pope, no matter how unlikely.

The Wildcats have also been involved with No. 15 overall prospect Miikka Muurinen, who is undeniably talented, but there are maturity questions. North Carolina and Arkansas are among those to poke around, but there is a risk factor to keep in mind before automatically connecting those dots.

Pope went overseas to find Jelavic, so maybe that’s the path? It’s possible, but easier said than done when looking for obvious star talent. That was supposed to be the 6-11 forward, coming in with multiple years of eligibility and committing to Kentucky after a single conversation — exactly what you’d want when going down that road. The Wildcats weren’t able to see that process through and there is no guarantee the next international find won’t have similar year-one hiccups.

You also can’t rule out that another wave of portal announcements won’t come over the next 24 hours before things close tomorrow at midnight. Auburn’s Sebastian Williams-Adams is an intriguing option that popped up Monday, making himself available following a successful rookie season on the Plains. He started in 21 of 36 games for the Tigers, averaging 6.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 27.2 minutes per contest as a former four-star prospect out of high school.

You’re hoping and praying at that point that something presents itself that fits and elevates Kentucky’s ceiling in 2026-27. Odds are good — and someone will want to take the big pile of cash in Lexington — but no guarantees beyond the options already in front of us.

One thing we know for sure? Kentucky’s starting power forward will not be Donnie Freeman, and the search continues for Mark Pope.

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Kentucky

Kentucky will get a visit from a forward with three-point upside

Published

17 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky will get a visit from a forward with three-point upside

Over the weekend, it was reported that the Kentucky Wildcats and coach Mark Pope had interest in former James Madison forward Justin McBride. Now, per Jacob Polacheck of Kentucky Sports Radio, McBride will take a visit to Lexington.

The report states that McBride will visit with Kentucky on Wednesday, Apr. 22. He had previously stated that he wanted to visit, but had to clear up some transcript issues first. It appears that things are worked out there now.

McBride is a 6’8″, 230 lb forward who has versatility. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season, but also made 40% of his three-point attempts, making him the kind of stretch big Pope likes to use. He could start, or be a valuable player off the bench.

Pope needs some recruiting wins, and he needs some depth for next year’s team. Right now, there are still more questions than answers, and Big Blue Nation is getting restless. We will update this story after his visit and more news becomes available.

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Kentucky

Vanderbilt baseball’s series win vs Kentucky revelatory

Published

1 day ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

Vanderbilt baseball’s series win vs Kentucky revelatory

Entering the weekend, Vanderbilt baseball had gotten swept in its only SEC series in which it hadn’t won the first game.

So the Commodores had a tough task in a series they badly needed after dropping the opener 5-2 on a walk-off grand slam after Vanderbilt’s best healthy starter, Connor Fennell, pitched well.

But the Commodores (24-17, 9-9 SEC) rebounded to take the series with an 8-7 win in the second game and a 13-6 win in the finale April 19. They did that despite not having any pitcher go more than three innings in either game. Though the pitching was still shaky at times — they issued more free passes than strikeouts in both of the wins — they worked out of enough jams to let the offense go to work.

Here’s what we learned from the series.

Will Hampton proves an unlikely hero for the offense

Vanderbilt got strong performances from a few of its typical top performers, including Braden Holcomb (6-for-13, four doubles) and Brodie Johnston (4-for-12, two home runs, three walks). But one of the biggest hits of the series came from the unlikeliest of sources.

Logan Johnstone was held out of the finale after colliding with Mike Mancini in Game 2, and in his place coach Tim Corbin opted to go with redshirt freshman Will Hampton in left field. Hampton had recorded just six college plate appearances, all of which were in nonconference games.

But Hampton reached in all three of his plate appearances against Kentucky, first on a single, then a walk. In the sixth inning, with the score tied, he came up with the bases loaded and two outs and blasted a grand slam, giving Vanderbilt its first lead.

Tyler Baird learns the ups and downs of being a closer

Freshman Tyler Baird has been Vanderbilt’s closer for the past three weeks, recording his first save April 2 against Texas A&M. But he learned the pitfalls that can come with that role in Game 1 against Kentucky. Summoned for an eight-out save with the Commodores leading 2-1, he retired the first five batters, but loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth. He struck out the next two batters but then gave up the walk-off grand slam.

Baird returned for Game 3, this time attempting a five-out save and coming in with runners on first and second and one out with a three-run lead in the eighth inning. He allowed both inherited runners to score, but kept the lead and then had a scoreless ninth inning after Vanderbilt scored three runs in the top of the inning.

Baird’s emergence has been key for the Commodores, and the Game 3 bounce-back was especially important.

Vanderbilt’s RPI shows improvement

On April 15, Vanderbilt was 95th in RPI, a mark that wasn’t going to cut it for NCAA Tournament selection. But with a road series win against a Kentucky team that started the week in the top 20 of RPI, the Commodores moved all the way up to 75th, according to Warren Nolan.

While Vanderbilt will need to keep moving up — a top-50 mark would be ideal — the series win did a lot. In the next two weeks, it will face two top-five RPI teams in Alabama and Texas, giving more opportunity to improve its standing.

Aria Gerson covers Vanderbilt athletics for The Tennessean. Contact her at agerson@gannett.com or on X @aria_gerson.

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