BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Sets Up Calls With Three Transfers for Wednesday

Published

3 months ago

April 7, 2026

The transfer portal is in full swing, and Mark Pope and the Kentucky basketball staff have set up three calls to transfers Neoklis Avdalas, DeSean Goode, and Anthony Robinson.

The transfer portal is open, and Zoom video calls are being scheduled around the clock.

After several calls to open the portal on Tuesday, including with highly ranked transfer guards Zoom Diallo and Dedan Thomas Jr, Kentucky Insider has learned that the Kentucky staff will kick things off on Wednesday with calls with three players (there will likely be more).

Let’s take a look.

Note: 247Sports rankings.

Neoklis Avdalas (Guard, Virginia Tech), 4 ⭐, No. 20 Ranked Transfer

Class: Sophomore
Physicals: 6-9, 215 lbs
Last Season Averages: 12.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, 38.6% FG, 31.4% 3P

The highest-ranked player on this list, Neoklis Avdalas. A 6-foot-9 guard with professional experience in Greece and NBA upside, Avdalas enters the transfer portal after one season with Virginia Tech.

At his size, Avdalas provides vision over defenses, lineup versatility, and a size advantage against smaller guards. All things that every team in the country covets. At times this season, he looked like a first-round NBA draft pick, such as a 33-point, six-assist performance against Providence.

As with any player in the transfer portal, there is typically a concern, and Avdalas’s is his shooting splits. Shooting an inefficient 38.6 percent from the field last season, he settled for difficult shots. While having a size advantage over most guards, he needs to get physically stronger, is not uber athletic, and doesn’t have a great handle.

The upside is clearly there, and Kentucky is expressing interest.

DeSean Goode (Forward, Robert Morris), 4 ⭐, No. 51 Ranked Transfer

Class: Junior
Physicals: 6-8, 230 lbs
Last Season Averages: 15.2 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 62.9% FG, 57.1% 3P (1.9 3PA)

Last year, Kentucky went hard after Robert Morris forward Alvaro Folgueiras, and now they are expressing interest in another Robert Morris forward, Desean Goode.

Named Horizon League Player of the Year, Goode averaged a near double-double this past season with 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds.

A physical, slashing forward, he could thrive in the SEC. Shooting 57 percent from deep on nearly two attempts per game, Goode can keep defenses honest and provide some shooting at the four spot that Kentucky lacked so much this past season.

Anthony Robinson II (Guard, Missouri), 4 ⭐, No. 85 Ranked Transfer

Class: Senior
Physicals: 6-3, 185 lbs
Last Season Averages: 8.9 PPG, 3.0 APG, 41% FG, 31.4% 3P

Robinson, a player Kentucky has played against three times in the last two seasons, entered the transfer portal after three seasons at Missouri with Dennis Gates.

After making a big jump from his freshman to sophomore season, more than doubling his scoring and assist averages, Robinson was expected to make another jump as a junior. While he received more minutes, he was down in every statistical category.

Searching for a new home, Robinson has proven to be a capable shooter, but he is known for his defensive capabilities, earning SEC All-Defensive team honors in 2025. With 156 steals over the last three seasons, Robinson has been one of the best ballhawks in the SEC.

Related Topics:Anthony Robinson II Desean Goode Neoklis Avdalas Transfer Portal

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

7 days ago

June 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky basketball has taken over as the favorite for Serbian star Nikola Kusturica, a projected lottery pick in 2028, with a prediction backing the Wildcats.

Just when many believed Kentucky’s roster was complete in terms of contributing players, Mark Pope might have an ace up his sleeve.

Last week, it was reported that Kentucky was among the frontrunners to land 6-foot-8 Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica. At the time, Gonzaga was thought to be the team to beat, having a more defined role to offer, compared to Kentucky, who has one remaining roster spot and a good amount of depth in wing positions.

Since then, things have shifted in a big way.

Gonzaga received a commitment from 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa on Sunday. By Tuesday night, the Wildcats received a Crystal Ball prediction from 247Sports’ Travis Branham to land Kusturica, with a confidence level of 7 out of 10.

The 6-foot-8 wing currently plays for FC Barcelona in Spain’s Liga ACB and EuroLeague system. He just turned 17 years old and is reportedly seeking a two-year college opportunity before becoming draft-eligible in 2028, where he is already being projected as a lottery pick.

The on-court résumé speaks for itself. In the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while leading Serbia to a championship and was named tournament MVP. He also helped Barcelona capture the Adidas NextGen Finals championship last month, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in the title game against Real Madrid.

Next, Kusturica will represent Serbia in the FIBA U17 World Cup from June 27 to July 5, and a college decision could come before then.

Mark Pope is carrying a lot of momentum in recent weeks after retaining Malachi Moreno and adding Milan Momcilovic to this season’s roster, as well as landing the first top 10 prospect of his career in Ryan Hampton. If he can close on Kusturica, that would cap off the roster in a significant way and continue to change the narrative around his recruiting ability.

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From No. 6 Prospect in 2027 Class Ryan Hampton

Published

2 weeks ago

June 7, 2026

Kai McClelland

Photo via UK Athletics

How about a Sunday boom in the recruiting world for you BBN?

Ryan Hampton, the No. 6 overall prospect in the 2027 class, has officially committed to the University of Kentucky! This is Mark Pope’s first top-10 prospect that he’s earned a commitment from.

Hailing from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton recently took an official visit to campus with his family, which began on Friday, June 5 and spilled into Sunday, June 7, his commitment day.

The five-star wing averaged 21.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during the most recent EYBL Circuit, playing for LivOn and Nightrydas.

Hampton was the first recruit in the 2027 to officially visit with the Wildcats, and now he’s the first to call their shot early and choose the blue and white.

Pope has signed Milan Momcilovic, the No. 2 ranked transfer, and Hampton, his first top-10 high school prospect just in the past week.

It’s been a crazy week for recruiting, with the narrative around Pope’s ability slowing fading as the top guys continue to be attracted to the Kentucky brand.

BB Recruiting

Fast Riser Big Man Yann Kamagate Receives Scholarship Offer From Kentucky

Published

1 month ago

May 18, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Fresh off the first live recruiting period of the offseason, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have extended their first scholarship offer of the 2028 class.

Yann Kamagate, a prospect who went from unranked to the top five in 247Sports’ most recent recruiting rankings, received an offer from the Wildcats, he confirmed to KY Insider on Monday.

“Not everyone gets the chance to be seen by greatness,” Kamagate told KY Insider. “I’m grateful for the offer from Kentucky.”

Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who works with the Wildcats’ big men and their development, watched Kamagate first-hand this past weekend in the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Mishawaka, Indiana.

The 7-foot big man was the talk of the weekend, displaying a high motor, extreme athleticism — a reported 7-9 winspam — and great feel for the game. On the circuit, he is averaging 13.9 points, a circuit-leading 10.4 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.

Originally from the West African country of Burkina Faso, Kamagate moved to the United States just a year ago and has only been playing basketball for three years. Now, he is challenging for the top spot in the 2028 class.

He is currently represented by former NBA player and UCLA star Luc Mbah a Moute. Which is relevant as he is currently playing for the California Adidas team, Compton Magic, and attends La Cañada Flintridge (Calif.) St. Francis.

The offer is the latest signal that Mark Pope’s staff is casting a wide and aggressive net this offseason, and targeting players whose trajectories are trending sharply upward. Kamagate fits that profile exactly.