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John Calipari Believes “A Couple Guys” Should Return Next Season

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John Calipari believes he has a couple players that should return to Kentucky next season.
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports

There is still a lot to be played for this season, but with such a beloved team, that isn’t stopping people from looking ahead to the player decisions that will be made at the end of the season. While most of those decisions have yet to be made, John Calipari believes he has some players that should return next season.

Talking with John Wall on his podcast, Point Game, John Calipari said, “I have a couple guys on this year’s team that could probably use another year.”

Talking about the NBA, using his acronym “no boys allowed”, Calipari explained two requirements. “There’s two things. Are you mentally ready? Are you physically ready?”

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Calipari didn’t mention any names, but some names can be safely removed from consideration and some educated guesses can be made of who he is referring to.

Expected to Leave

Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves will be gone after this season after exhausting their eligibility, and Rob Dillingham is a Top 10 lock.

As much as folks don’t want to hear it, Reed Sheppard is unlikely to return, as his stock will never be higher, currently listed as a top-five prospect by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. That would grant him a $15-$20 million rookie contract, not including endorsements, multiple times more than we would earn at Kentucky in NIL.

That still leaves a lot of names

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Likely to Leave/Stay

D.J. Wagner, currently projected as a late-first-round pick, already has a deal with Nike and NBA connections given his father. Calipari didn’t expect him for longer than a season.

Ugonna Onyenso entered the transfer portal last season and could do the same this season, if he does not remain in the draft. ” Jordan Burks could enter the NBA conversation next season, impressing scouts at Kentucky’s Pro Day back in October, but could also take a look at the transfer portal.

Adou Thiero could play his way into a first-round pick as a junior. Calipari said just last week, ” The things he’s got to tackle are all effort-based.”

The Hard Decisions

That leaves Aaron Bradshaw, Justin Edwards, and Zvonimir Ivisic, whom I believe Calipari is referring to. All have shown potential this season, but have just been too inconsistent.

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Edwards is the only one of the three still projected to be drafted in ESPN’s latest two-round mock draft from late February, going 51st to the Indiana Pacers. Recently, Calipari has praised him for the amount of work he has put in the gym, and mentally to turn around his season, but it may still be too late. Represented by Klutch, they may be able to get a draft promise, but I don’t foresee one in the first round. Given an improved mindset and play, with another season, he could play his way back into the lottery conversation. We saw a similar situation with Chris Livingston last season.

For Aaron Bradshaw and Zvonimir Ivisic, they have both really enjoyed their time at Kentucky despite facing hardships, and have actually leaned on one another. While neither planned to stay longer than a season, they are not physically ready for the NBA, with Calipari challenging their physicality multiple times this season. Kentucky does have two more bigs coming in Somto Cyril and Jayden Quaintance, but the competition in the NBA isn’t any lesser.

One thing to consider is that all three players would likely make more with NIL than they would as second-round draft picks. As pointed out by Givony, more teams are looking for more proven players in the second round, rather than taking risks on potential.


Until official announcements are made, it is all just speculation. Calipari says he supports his players, “whatever their decision is,” but he will ask those who can help themselves with an extra year, “Are you sure?”

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There will be some players asked that question this offseason.

Men's Basketball

Otega Oweh Declares for NBA Draft, Maintains College Eligibility

Arguably the centerpiece of last year’s team, Otega Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft… but that doesn’t mean he’s officially gone.

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Otega Oweh declares for the NBA Draft whilst maintaining his college eligibility.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Few players have taken the Big Blue Nation by storm like Otega Oweh did with his arrival this past season. A lot was new in Lexington last year, but #00 stuck out for a number of reasons; namely, his infectious energy on the court and the high odds that he was going to put an opponent on a poster on any given night.

Now, Oweh has declared for the NBA Draft. He made the announcement on social media, calling Kentucky fans the “best fans in the world.”

While this may seem dire for folks keeping tabs on next year’s roster, that last line in Oweh’s announcement is crucial: “…while maintaining my NCAA eligibility.” Essentially, Otega’s time in Lexington is far from over, at least for the time being.

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Whether or not “Tegatron” returns to Rupp will likely depend on what he hears during the draft process, and where exactly he wants to land. In the modern college basketball landscape, it’s become common practice for players to “test the waters” in the draft, just to get an idea as to where they stand with the league, before returning to college for another year of development.

Take, for example, Jaxson Robinson just last season. Before his eventual transfer to Kentucky, Robinson declared for the draft out of BYU, maintaining his eligibility, before pulling from the process in order to spend his senior year at Kentucky. It happens all the time.

While that doesn’t necessarily set Oweh’s return in stone, it at least gives the Big Blue Nation to take a breather and keep calm, as his departure is far from official. Either way, #00 is a Lexington legend whose first go-around in Kentucky blue was as memorable as anyone’s could be. The “Oweh, Oweh, Oweh” chants will go on regardless.

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Men's Basketball

Four Star Forward Visiting Kentucky Amidst Recruitment Rumors

Mark Pope is looking to close out a strong sophomore effort in the transfer portal, and this freshman guard may be the final piece.

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Four star guard Braydon Hawthorne is on a visit to Kentucky.
Braydon Hawthorne | WVU Athletics

As the transfer portal trucks on (and the NCAA races to find ways to regulate it), Mark Pope is looking to tie a bow on his already highly-ranked 2025-26′ roster. The latest potential addition becomes in the form of a freshman who, after pulling his commitment from West Virginia, will be on an official visit to Kentucky today, Wednesday, April 16.

Braydon Hawthorne, the 6’8″ forward at hand, is a lengthy, scoring wing with high upside on the offensive end. His 7’3″ wingspan opens opportunities for development on the defensive end, too – he’s an investment opportunity of the highest order. On3 currently has him at 48th on their ranking of 2025 recruits.

In addition to Kentucky and West Virginia (where Hawthorne is from), schools such as Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Marquette, Dayton, Old Dominion, Mount St. Mary’s, and more have thrown their hats into the ring, although the general consensus seems to be that Kentucky has the strongest pull/interest in the prospect for the time being.

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Whether or not that actually means he’ll be in blue and white is unfortunately unsure – as that’s how the transfer portal operates – but an in-person visit is a good indicator of mutual interest. Plus, with Kentucky “losing out” on Lamar Wilkerson, who committed to Indiana, a scoring spot in the back court remains open… and Hawthorne is a compelling candidate to fill it.

While Wildcats fans wait patiently for a potential commitment, all eyes are on Coach Cody Fueger’s X account for a trademark “boom” post.

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Men's Basketball

Brandon Garrison Announces Return To Kentucky For The 2025-26 Season

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Chet White | UK Athletics

Brandon Garrison isn’t going anywhere. 

The 6-foot-10 forward will be returning to the Kentucky Wildcats for his junior season in the 2025-26 campaign. 

Garrison took to social media first, posting a story on his personal Instagram that showed a simple graphic reading the words “I’m back.”

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Speculation and rumors have swirled around the Oklahoma native all offseason, and with the addition of Andrija Jelavic, Big Blue Nation worried that Garrison would be hitting the portal sooner than later. 

Now, with his returning announcement public, Garrison will look to assert himself in the offseason as a dominant force that deserves the starting role.

Last season, he backed up Amari Williams, coming off of the bench and averaging 5.9 points per game and 3.9 rebounds per game in just 17.3 minutes a night. 

It’s unclear if he’s guaranteed anything in regards to a starting spot. However, having played a year already in Mark Pope’s system, Garrison may get a nod for the role over one of the transfer pickups. 

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Pope and the coaching staff have been publicly confident in the development of “BG” and see him as a vocal leader on and off the court. 

With a full offseason ahead where he’ll be harnessing his skill set and bettering his game in any way possible, Kentucky fans will be glad that Garrison chose to stick around another year. 

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