Mark Pope has dug deep into the transfer portal to remold this year’s roster and Kentucky has spent the cash money for NIL deals.
Supposedly the Cats are spending over $10 million, with a rumor of almost $20 million. This would put Kentucky at the top of the totem pole in NIL collectives.
Our roster looks to be the most balanced that we have possibly seen.
With only two high school recruits, it is looking to be a veteran squad.
Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson, both Kentucky boys, are not your run-of-the-mill players.
These are two guys who can give us valuable minutes despite being young.
Surprisingly though, we went from having four homegrown players to three on the eve of the transfer portal deadline.
In a somewhat shocking move, Travis Perry entered his name into the hat with only hours remaining.
With a deep roster and limited minutes, it does appear to be a good decision for him. We can hope he spreads his wings and develops at a smaller college before finding his way back to us in the future.
Speaking of making a return, Jayden Quaintance is coming back to the bluegrass.
The original Calipari recruit dipped for Arizona State in the wake of uncertainty upon Cal’s sudden departure.
After witnessing Pope’s first-year success, the big man will be in the blue and white as he was supposed to be. Assuming he heals from a knee injury, he will be a monster in the paint.
Meanwhile, two transfers that I did not see coming are Mouhamed Dioubate from Alabama and Denzel Aberdeen from national champion Florida.
One thing is for certain: with Brandon Garrison returning, Pope is stuffing the middle with strength.
The most hyped possible return for me is Otega Oweh. He is one of my favorite players to watch in a long time. His consistency and tenacity in every facet of the game separates him from a lot of college players.
Oweh has until May 28 to take his name out of the NBA draft. Thus far, he is looking to go undrafted. This bodes well for Kentucky fans.
Trent Noah, the crowd favorite, has been in the gym with Collin Chandler. These are two guys who do not make a lot of mistakes offensively. They just need to buy in on the defensive side.
Three other names: Jaland Lowe, a point guard transfer from Pittsburgh; Kam Williams, a 6-foot-8 two-way player who can handle the ball; and Andrija Jelavic from Croatia, who stands at 6-foot-11.
With hopes to add one or two more, this roster may just stand the test of time.
At least we know that we have a coach who can make it work.
Go Cats.
Brittni McCoy is the Mountain Citizen sports editor.