Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Hindering Kentucky Basketball Program, Per Report

Published

3 years ago

January 12, 2023

UK Athletics

John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart are not ones to swap Christmas cards with each other, but have had to coexist over the last decade-plus. While the relationship between the two has never been great, it was better at one time.

When DeWayne Peevy, who’s now the AD at DePaul, served as an assistant Athletic Director at Kentucky (2008-2020), he acted as the intermediary between Calipari and Barnhart. In this role, Peevy was key in helping the basketball program secure funding.

Without Peevy, that relationship has turned for the worse and is basically non-existent. This hasn’t been helped by Calipari’s “football school” comments from this summer and the results of the basketball program in recent seasons.

With that said, just how bad has it gotten? A report suggests that Barnhart is significantly hampering the basketball program.

Let’s start with this past summer’s “football school” comments. According to Kyle Tucker of the Athletic, Calipari wanted to immediately publicly apologize, but was told by Barnhart not to.

Instead, Barnhart joined football coach Mark Stoops for a bizarre press conference, where he seemingly took shots directly at Calipari, including the following quotes:

“The desire for more should be met with a sense of gratitude.” – Mitch Barnhart

“Grown-ups are going to have to figure this out and be a little better. Sometimes when you get a little bit of success, you get a little entitled.” – Mitch Barnhart

Barnhart’s response undoubtedly fueled the basketball vs. football narrative and deepened the divide.

Given Barnhart’s quotes, it should come as no surprise that Barnhart is limiting additional funding for the basketball program.

During a radio show this summer, Calipari talked about his wish for a new practice facility, replacing/upgrading the Joe Craft Center, which was completed in early 2007. Given that this is a 15-year-old facility and has fallen behind other top programs, one could argue that this was a reasonable request.

Calipari even suggested that he was willing to raise money on his own, just as he did in 2012 with the locker rooms. Following through with that, Calipari is reported to have secured pledges of about $30 million in private funding, mostly from his former players in the NBA.

This $30 million tag matches the cost of what it cost to build the Joe Craft Center in 2007, adjusting for inflation that cost would be $43 million today. With that said, that is 70 percent of the money needed if the cost is similar. It is important to note, this source of funding would likely only be available if Calipari is the coach.

Yet, Barnhart has met Calipari with resistance and, “refuses to let him proceed with planning a facility,” said Tucker. If true, this seems to be an ego move by Barnhart, which is bad for everyone involved.

Finally, one of the biggest things actively hurting Kentucky basketball right now is Barnhart’s refusal to allow and add support staff positions. While the current full-time assistant staff has paid dividends on the recruiting trail, this was the focus when they were hired, excluding Bruiser. As a staff, it is clear that X’s & O’s and building player relationships have taken a step back.

Calipari is aware of this and has asked Barnhart to add an additional support staff position for a general manager, and suggested that ‘offensive coordinator’, and ‘defensive coordinator’ are positions that Calipari would be interested in adding as well. Despite UK’s staff being smaller compared to other top programs, Barnhart has denied this request.

What is worrying is that Tucker is told that, assistant video director Andrew Ortelli, and graduate assistant Riley Welch are doing “most” of the actual scouting work for the team. This is unacceptable and shows why Kentucky has looked ill-prepared so often.

Yet, the football staff includes three assistants that are paid over $1 million per year (Liam Coen (OC) $1.7 Million, Vince Marrow (Recruiting Coordinator) $1.2 million, Brad White (DC) $1.4 million). This is not to say that they don’t deserve it, but it is clear that Barnhart is giving preferential treatment to the football program.

As quoted earlier in this article from Barnhart, “Grown-ups are going to have to figure this out and be a little better.”

Maybe it is time for Barnhart to take his own advice, or it may be time for him to hang it up.

You can read the entire story on The Athletic here.

BB Recruiting

James Madison Transfer Justin McBride to Visit Kentucky on Tuesday

Published

7 days ago

April 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky will host James Madison transfer James McBride for a visit on Tuesday, after communicating with Mark Pope and the staff via Zoom video call.

James Madison Athletics

While much of the attention in the transfer portal goes to the top targets, you need to build a full roster. Still with starting spots to be claimed, Kentucky also looking at depth pieces. The most recent, James Madison transfer Justin McBride.

After talking to the staff this week via Zoom video call, McBride is scheduled to take a visit to Lexington on Tuesday.

A three-star transfer, ranked 201st overall according to 247Sports, McBride is being recruited by multiple power conference teams including Baylor and Cal, as well as SEC foes Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Out of high school, McBride was a four-star recruit, ranked in the top 150 nationally.

“He is a versatile player who has that IT factor about him. You can tell by the passion he plays with that there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” 247Sports asked program director Vonzell Thomas said as he evaluated McBride out of high school. “What I like about his game is his will to win. He does whatever it takes to win and not every kid has that mentality.”

From Texas, McBride committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Kansas and Arkansas, where he played alongside former Wildcat Bandon Garrison. There, he appeared in just 24 games, averaging just over five minutes per game.

Seeking a larger role, McBride entered the transfer portal and dropped to the mid-major level, committing to Nevada. With the Wolfpack he nearly tripled both his minutes and production, averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His most recent stop, James Madison this past season, McBride had a breakout year, averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

Entering his senior season, the 6-7, 240 pound McBride is eyeing a jump back to the power conference level, prioritizing fit at his next stop.

Will that be Kentucky?

McBride has good size and athleticism, and has an inside-out style of game. Meaning he can work his away around the paint, but can also space the floor with his shooting, grading fairly well as a catch and shoot guy. Overall, he ranks in the 97th percentile in scoring volume. That said, there is come consistency to be lacked on the defensive side.

BB Recruiting

Multiple Transfers Meet With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

The transfer portal is active, and Zoom stock is going up as college coaches are video chatting around the clock to build their rosters, including Kentucky.

On Wednesday, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff added three more names to the Zoom list.

Alex Wilkins (Guard, Furman), 4⭐️, 46th-ranked transfer

Class: Sophomore
Physicals: 6-5, 175 lbs
Last season averages: 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 32.8% 3P

An underrated prospect coming out of high school, Wilkins splashed on the scene this year at Furman. As a freshman, he led his team to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and earning second team All-SoCon honors.

There were few players as critical to their team’s success as Wilkins, leading the SoCon in possession usage (34.4%) and shot usage (31.7%). That does lend some explanation to his poor shooting splits and turnover concerns (3.8 turnovers per game).

A quick, wirey guard, Wilkins is a capable scorer at all three levels, and can create for his teammates. However, he needs to add some muscle for power conference competition, and needs to have more consistent effort on the defensive end.

A freshman, those are both correctable things.

Isaac Celiscar (Forward, Yale), 4⭐️, 84th-ranked transfer

Class: Junior
Physicals: 6-6, 210 lbs
Last season averages: 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.3% FG, 40.7% 3P

Isaac Celiscar is one of the most efficient, versatile players in the transfer portal.

The first takeaway, averaging 13.2 point per game with 57.3 percent shooting, he is extremely efficient on limited opportunities. Shooting nearly 41 percent from deep, he is a threat from deep as well. That efficiency carries over to his passing, as he averages more than three assists per game, on just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Celiscar grades out as a glue-guy with great offensive skills and good feel for the game, but he does have limitations in terms of his athleticism and shot creation.

Jalen Cox (Guard, Colgate), 3⭐️ , 149th-ranked transfer

Class: Senior
Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Last season averages: 17.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 52.1% FG, 36.5% 3P

Jalen Cox is the lowest ranked player Kentucky has reached out to, but the Wildcats need depth and Cox is a experienced guard with proven production.

Averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists (2.0+ assist-to-turnover ratio) per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, Cox is a versatile and efficient offensive player. He has also multiple conference All-Defense selections too, making him a two way player.

The biggest concern with Cox is his athletic ceiling and how that translates to power conference competition. However an experienced two way player is a great rotation piece.

BB Recruiting

Top Five Transfer Paulius Murauskas Moves Up Call, Talks With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky met with Saint Mary's transfer Paulius Muruaskas, one of the top forwards in the transfer portal, on Wednesday and is looking to schedule a visit for him to come to Lexington.

Saint Mary's Athletics

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are as busy as anyone in the transfer portal. On Wednesday, they met with their biggest fish of this transfer portal cycle so far, Paulius Murauskas.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the Wildcats met with Murauskas via Zoom video call on Wednesday, per source.

Currently ranked 4th overall in 247Sports transfer rankings, the top-ranked forward, Murauskas is the prototypical modern basketball player. Good size at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, with the ability to create for himself and others, has a good handle, and overall good feel for the game.

Murauskas started his collegiate career at Arizona after some professional experience in Lithuania. Playing just five minutes per game with the Wildcats as a freshman, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary’s, where he has flourished and earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons.

This past season, Murauskas averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. As for his weaknesses, he is not super athletic, and he does need to be more consistent with his shot.

Originally thought to follow former Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, Murauskas is exploring all options. Following the Zoom, Kentucky is trying to get him on campus for a visit in the near future.