Men's Basketball

Kentucky Leave/Stay Predictions Following Player Meetings

Published

2 years ago

April 1, 2024

John Calipari says this Kentucky team is playing with "supreme confidence" and he has never had this many players "live in the gym".

IMAGN-USA Today Network

The 2023-24 Kentucky basketball season is over, meaning it is time to prepare for the 2024-25 season. The first step in that is the decision of the current players to leave/return, which they will announce over the coming days and weeks.

John Calipari met with each player last week to discuss their future and their options. Let’s look at where things stand with each of them.

Gone/Likely Gone

Graduates

Kentucky will have two key contributors graduating as fifth-year seniors this season, Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell. Unfortunately, their college careers are over.

Rob Dillingham

Rob Dillingham came to Kentucky as their 4th highest-ranked recruit last season. Despite some offseason hopes that he could be a two-year player, he has worked and played his into a projected Top 5 pick, and could be Kentucky’s first since De’Aaron Fox in 2017.

Prediction: NBA Draft
Confidence Level: High, 100%

Ugonna Onyenso

Ugonna Onyenso entered the transfer portal last season, not really on his own accord. This time it is a little different. He wasn’t sure how he would fit in the lineup coming back from injury. When he did, he had his moments, he was inconsistent.

That said, Oneysno had the second-highest block percentage in the country this season (14.8%). Many schools will pursue a 7-foot, elite shot blocker.

Prediction: Transfer
Confidence Level: High, 90%

Aaron Bradshaw

For a time, Aaron Bradshaw was the No. 1 recruit in the 2023 class. Unfortunately, in his freshman season at Kentucky, there were only flashes of that and by the end was only getting spot minutes.

Bradshaw’s name is no longer featured on NBA Draft Boards and he and those around him are interested in a fresh start. That said, he was one of the emotional players in the locker room after the loss to Oakland.

Prediction: Transfer
Confidence Level: Medium-High, 75%

Reed Sheppard

A product of London, Kentucky, Reed Sheppard was a McDonald’s All-American and was believed to be a 2-3 year player. Then he went on to have one of the most efficient seasons in program history and won National Freshman of the Year, even surprising himself to an extent.

Sheppard is in a unique situation, being an in-state talent and loving this program, but also being a projected Top 10 pick. The NIL money (estimated $3-$ million) will be there if he returns. However, Sheppard’s draft stock will never be higher and he will be risking A LOT with a return.

Prediction: NBA Draft
Confidence Level: Medium-High, 70%

Difficult Decisions

Adou Thiero

Since the end of the season, John Calipari has expressed a desire to get older and more physical. Both characteristics fit Adou Thiero. However, last week Thiero announced that he will be going through the draft process and also entering the transfer portal, keeping all his options open, including a return to Kentucky.

Thiero has some second-round draft grades, but has first-round potential with another year. That said, the biggest threat is the portal. The staff will attempt to recruit Thiero back, but there are certainly concerns. If Thiero’s goal is the NBA, Kentucky is the best place for him, but NIL and role have to be right.

Prediction: Stay
Confidence Level: Low, 40%

DJ Wagner

If you look at the incoming class, it is big and wing-heavy. Kentucky needs to add to its backcourt and a sophomore DJ Wagner is one the best options available.

A former No. 1 recruit, Wagner found his stride in the middle of the season, but after a serious ankle injury that kept him out multiple games, he struggled to regain his rhythm through much of February and March. Calipari noted that he believes that he has 1-2 guards that he hopes to return and Wagner is certainly one of them.

Wagner has the connections and upside to be drafted, but another year would serve he and his draft stock well.

Prediction: Stay
Confidence Level: Low, 50%

Justin Edwards

Justin Edwards was the Wildcat with the highest draft projection going into the season. During Kentucky’s GLOBL Jam trip in July, he looked the part, averaging 14.5 PPG and 6.5 RPG. However, the regular season was filled with struggles until February, where he became one of Kentucky’s biggest contributors.

That stretch of play put Edwards back in the first-round conversation. He will enter the draft process, hoping to get a first-round draft grade. If he does, which is most likely, he will remain in the draft, but if he doesn’t a return is on the table.

Prediction: NBA Draft
Confidence Level: Medium-High, 70%

Zvonimir Ivisic

After a six-month-long battle to get him admitted into Kentucky and eligible to play, Zvonimir Ivisic may have had the best debut in Kentucky basketball history. Being forced to adapt during SEC play, Ivisic certainly took steps forward and started to emerge as Kentucky’s top big towards the end of the season.

Ivisic came to Kentucky intending to play one season before going to the NBA. At 7-2, with great perimeter skills, a team could take him with a second-round pick. However, Ivisic has enjoyed his time in Lexington, and with a full offseason to build on his frame and become accustomed, he could play his way into a lottery pick.

That said, Ivisic has entered the draft process twice already, meaning he cannot test the waters. He has to decide whether to enter or return. Given the terms of Ivisic coming to Kentucky, I lean toward him going to the draft.

Prediction: NBA Draft
Confidence Level: Medium, 60%

Jordan Burks

The former leading scorer at Overtime Elite, Jordan Burks was a great depth piece to add to the roster last summer, with the plan to develop him over 2-3 seasons. While he didn’t receive consistent playing time this season, he had his moments and showed that he can be a valuable player going forward.

Since the season ended on March 21st, Burks has made several posts of his workouts in the practice facility and looks to be preparing for a sophomore season. Given the variables of the incoming class and potential returnees, he could be one to watch for the transfer portal.

Prediction: Stay
Confidence Level: Medium, 50%

Joey Hart

Similar to Burks, Joey Hart is a player who committed to Kentucky, knowing he would be a multi-year guy. What I can say here is, that Calipari wants him to return, and Hart and his family want to be at Kentucky, but it is all dependent on what the roster looks like.

Prediction: Stay
Confidence Level: Medium, 60%

Men's Basketball

Three Wildcats Heading to NBA Draft Combine

Published

4 hours ago

May 1, 2026

KYI News Desk

Jayden Quaintance, Otega Oweh, and Malachi Moreno are all heading to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Here's what's at stake for each Kentucky Wildcat — and what Big Blue Nation should be watching for.

IMAGN

Kentucky Basketball is sending a trio to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.

The NBA officially announced 73 participants for the 2026 Combine, with Jayden Quaintance, Malachi Moreno, and Otega Oweh all representing Kentucky.

Interestingly, the pool to select combine participants is growing smaller. Just 71 college players entered their name in the NBA Draft this year, down from 106 last year and a peak of 363 in 2021. That’s the lowest early-entrant total since 2003.

For Kentucky, Quaintance is still the headliner. Once viewed as a lottery lock before playing just four games for Kentucky last season due to lingering issues from an ACL tear, his stock has fallen and currently ranges from mid-late first round, 18th in ESPN‘s latest projections.

Still, NBA teams draft on potential, and a big man with his footwork, passing ability, and rim protection at just 18 is a unicorn. The medicals at the Combine will be crucial, and Chicago is where that process begins in earnest.

Oweh tested the draft waters in 2025, returned to Lexington, and made the most of it. The senior guard was Kentucky’s leading scorer in back-to-back seasons, averaging 18.2 points per game this past year. He currently sits at No. 76 (ESPN) in draft rankings, on the bubble, but the Combine is exactly where a player like Oweh can make a leap.

Then there’s Moreno, the wildcard. ESPN‘s latest mock draft projects Moreno at No. 44 to the Brooklyn Nets in the second round, though he’s still widely expected to return to Lexington for his sophomore season and a be a centerpiece for the Wildcats after an All-SEC freshman season. Moreno has first round potential.

The Combine is set to take place at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago from May 10th-17th, and will be televised on ESPN2 and NBA TV.

Football

UK Moves Forward with Plans for Entertainment District Near Kroger Field

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2026

Tristan Pharis

The University of Kentucky is moving forward with a new entertainment district near Kroger Field, selecting the “Cooper Connector” proposal ahead of construction.

UK Athletics

Last year, Champions Blue LLC, the LLC created for UK Athletics, announced the plan to build an entertainment district near Kroger Field to create a new revenue stream. Earlier this week, the school made the next step before the district’s construction, choosing one of four proposals.

On Tuesday, Kevin Locke, UK’s Associate Vice President of planning, design and construction, informed the Champions Blue Board of Governors that the school is moving forward with the “Cooper Connector” plan. This proposal is based on similar districts created near arenas for Ohio State University, Arizona State University, the Green Bay Packers, and the Atlanta Braves.

As an effect of this plan, Bluegrass Community and Technical College will vacate from the school’s original home on Cooper Drive by the end of 2026, a spokesperson told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Despite BCTC still holding classes, Kentucky originally took control over the property with an agreement in 2008, after BCTC built a new campus at the former site of Eastern State Hospital, which moved to land owned by UK on the Coldstream Research campus.

The “Cooper Connector” plan includes retail and a hotel conference center, but dining will serve as the anchor, as Locke explained to the board on Tuesday.

“Food and beverage, that would serve as the anchor use for this scheme,” Locke said. “This location needs genuine energy, with multiple retail spots creating critical mass, rather than an isolated, one-off destination. And with the right mix of food, entertainment, and access, this corridor will come alive and attract private investors as well as become an asset for the university, staff, and surrounding community.”

With the plan, there are still some final decisions to be made over the coming weeks, including the precise location for the hotel conference center.

Perhaps the biggest decision will be whether to include a multi-use facility that would include a new basketball practice facility into the Kroger Field entertainment district or as part of a district to be built near Historic Memorial Coliseum that will include retail, housing, and parking. A conversation study is needed, set to be complete this summer.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

BB Recruiting

Mark Pope Flying to Israel to Visit “Up and Coming” Brazilian Basketball Player Marcio Santos, in “Advanced Talks”

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball is targeting Brazilian prospect Marcio Santos as Mark Pope expands recruiting globally. Latest updates on UK’s pursuit and fit.

EuroLeague

Mark Pope is on an international search to help fill Kentucky’s roster. Already singing Senegalese prospect Ousmane N’Diaye last week, a new target has emerged.

On Tuesday night, following a visit with the top ranked prospect prospect in the 2027 class, CJ Rosser, Pope caught a flight to JFK airport in New York City, and from there to Tel Aviv, Israel to visit 23-year-old Brazilian prospect Marcio Santos. Note, he would be 24 years old at the start of next season.

Santos currently plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball Club, a club that plays in the Israeli Premier League and internationally in the EuroLeague. Having won six EuroLeague titles, and sending a number of players to the NBA Draft, including Deni Avdija and Omri Casspi, the club is considered to be one of the best in all of Europe.

In his first season with the club, Santos is averaging 6.9 points, 1.6 boards and 0.6 steals on 40% shooting from deep.

Prior to playing with Maccabi, Santos spent a season with German club Ratiopharm Ulm, averaging 8.4 points, 3.7 boards and 0.8 steals in the German League, helping them reach to the playoff finals.

Santos started his career with Franca in his native Brazil, helping secure three straight Brazilian League crowns. In 2022-23 was part of the side that won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup and BCL Americas titles.

With a 6-8, 250-pound frame, Santos plays currently as a four or a five, being undersized for the latter with taller matchups, leading to rebounding and interior defense struggles. That said, his coach, Oded Katash, loves his versatility.

“He can finish plays near the rim and step outside to shoot,” Katash said. “He plays with passion and enthusiasm, and knows how to show toughness and defensive aggressiveness. He’s a smart physical player who helps the team in many areas of the game. He’s a solid playmaking big man with sharp passing instincts.”

Pope flying to visit Santos shows very real interest, and according to sources, Kentucky has made an offer and are in “advanced talks” with Santos. Signed to a three year deal with Maccabi, earning $600k annually, part of the NIL agreement would be a buyout of his current contract.