Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball NBA Mock Draft Round-Up

Published

on

UK Athletics

The halfway point of the college basketball season is almost here and that means one of John Calipari’s favorite days of the year is getting closer, NBA Draft day.

Coming into the season, several Kentucky Wildcats had hopes of getting drafted. However, there are currently just two Wildcats that are projected to be drafted, Oscar Tshiebwe and Cason Wallace.

Up to this point, Tshiebwe and Wallace have been Kentucky’s most valuable players, so it is no surprise to see they are projects to make their dreams a reality. Let’s take a look and see where they stand.

Advertisement

Cason Wallace

The Athletic: 8th
CBS Sports: 6th (Oklahoma City Thunder)
ESPN: 9th (Orlando Magic)
NBA.com: 11th (Indiana Pacers)
Yahoo Sports: 13th (Utah Jazz)

Coming in as a top-10 prospect and McDonald’s All-American, Cason Wallace was sure to make an impact. Yet, it is safe to say he has been better than advertised.

Through the first half of the season, Cason Wallace has arguably proved himself to be the best all-around freshman in the country and the stats prove it. Amongst freshmen, Wallace is the only one to be ranked in the top 20 in points (12.9), assists (3.9), and steals (2.3), while shooting 50% FG and 40% 3P.

Coming in, Wallace’s on-ball defense was heralded, and he has proven that he can be an NBA team’s best on-ball defender. What has impressed scouts the most is his three-point shooting ability and playmaking

Advertisement

For Wallace, the ceiling is very high and he could continue to move up draft boards as the season continues.

Oscar Tshiebwe

The Athletic: 58th
ESPN: 54th (Phoenix Suns)
NBA.com: 54th (Brooklyn Nets)

Despite sweeping all of the National Player of the Year awards last season, Oscar Tshiebwe was projected as a fringe first-round to mid-second-round pick. With his feedback from the NBA, Tshiebwe made the decision to return to Lexington.

Looking at a deeper 2023 draft, Tshiebwe is on the edge of the second round in almost all mock drafts. Tshiebwe did have minor knee surgery back in October and has only recently started to match last season’s numbers. With that said, there is still room to improve his draft stock.

Advertisement

Proven as an elite rebounder and with his improved footwork, an NBA team will draft Tshiebwe in the later half of the draft. To improve his draft stock, Tshiebwe must tighten up on defense and display some perimeter skills as the season progresses.


There are some notable absences from the draft projections, including Damion Collins, Chris Livingston, and Jacob Toppin.

Collins and Toppin have the physical tools to be drafted, but have just not consistently put it together. However, Toppin is coming off back-to-back 20+ point performances and looks to be turning the corner, and could play his way into the draft conversation.

Young freshman Chris Livingston is also on the outside looking in right now but is steadily improving every game, showing a lot of promise, and looking to rise in the ranks throughout the rest of the season.

Advertisement

With the five freshman coming in that will likely play a lot of minutes, several Wildcats will have tough decisions to make at the end of the season.

Men's Basketball

CBS Sports: Kentucky Has “ended pursuits” in Transfer Portal Following Aberdeen Commitment

In the wake of yet another addition to Kentucky’s incoming roster, CBS Sports reports that Coach Pope and staff may have closed the portal.

Published

on

Mark Pope and staff may have everything they need from the transfer portal.
Chet White | UK Athletics

Following another flurry of transfer portal additions in his second year at the helm, it appears that Mark Pope and staff are satisfied with their sophomore haul. The portal in Lexington may be officially closed for the 2025-26′ season.

Right after Kentucky received the surprising commitment of Denzel Aberdeen, Matt Norlander, an analyst for CBS Sports, posted the following on X (Twitter):

“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today [April 21] meant they’ve moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylan Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process-but I expect him back in Lex”.

Advertisement

With the addition of Aberdeen, the Wildcats’ roster ballooned to near-max capacity for next season. Seeing two of the team’s walk-on players, Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn, enter the transfer portal seemed to all but confirm this suspicion, too.

Losing One of Our Own

That is, until last night. With less than two hours remaining for players to do so, Travis Perry shocked much of the Big Blue Nation by throwing his name into the hat. This came just weeks after a string of comments from the Kentucky-native point guard seemed to confirm his return for a sophomore season.

Though all the same, given Kentucky’s bulk of back-court additions this offseason, his departure makes sense for the sake of playing time alone. The Lyon King will be sorely missed.

So while the Kentucky staff may still be very much content with their current roster, with hundreds of players remaining in the portal and an unexpected spot on the roster coming open, another grab is far from out of the question.

Advertisement

Who Coach Pope and company would go after is entirely unclear, as that potential player would likely have to accept a minimized role off the bench for a stretch of his time in Lexington. If anything, the logical replacement would be a direct fill-in at the PG2/PG3 spot in Perry’s absence.

Either way, the ‘Cats are set to come into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college basketball with a ceiling far out of view. Mark Pope continues to prove his prowess in the transfer market, too, easing the worries of Wildcats fans and closing the door on many supposed “insiders” who’ve spent the last month suggesting otherwise.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

REPORT: Travis Perry Enters Transfer Portal

Published

on

Kentucky basketball Travis Perry talks about growing more comfortable on the court.
Jordan Prather | IMAGN

The transfer portal has been kind to Kentucky in the Mark Pope era. Last season, the staff was able to build a Sweet Sixteen roster almost exclusively from the portal, and this offseason have put together a top-five portal class.

While the portal giveth, it also taketh. Just hours before the deadline to enter, Kentucky native and fan favorite Travis Perry has entered the transfer portal, per multiple reports.

Coming to Kentucky as the state’s all-time high-school scoring record holder, fans were excited to see how his career would unfold in Lexington.

Advertisement

Not expecting to play much freshman, he was called upon due to injuries and played some key minutes for the Wildcats into the postseason. He averaged 2.7 PPG and .6 APG on 32% shooting from three.

Looking at the depth chart, it was difficult to see where Perry would get much playing time next season, leading to his decision to enter the portal.

Perry has yet to release an official statement, but all the best to him in his future.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Top Transfer Guard Denzel Aberdeen Commits to Kentucky

Former Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky, likely closing the transfer portal for next year’s roster.

Published

on

Denzel Aberdeen commits to Kentucky.
UF Athletics

Another day, another “boom.” Denzel Aberdeen has officially committed to Kentucky for the 2025-26’ season.

A soon-to-be senior guard fresh off his championship win with Florida, Aberdeen spent his first three years of eligibility in Gainesville. Now, following an apparent conflict in the Gators’ rotation, he’s swapped teams in the southeast.

At 6 ‘5”, 190, Aberdeen spent much of this past season beating defenders off the dribble and making them pay at the rim. His speed and size made him a nightmare off the bench for opposing teams, and for the short stretch of play that he started during the year, Florida didn’t miss a beat. 

Advertisement

In 19 minutes, Aberdeen averaged 8 points, two rebounds and one assist per game. His consistent contribution to the Gators’ title run made him one of the most coveted transfers in the cycle this season, and given his big blue commitment just days after entering the portal, Mark Pope clearly wasted no time in Kentucky’s pursuit.

Aberdeen slots in as yet another addition to what was already one of the strongest portal classes going into next season. His SEC experience and combo-guard intangibles make Aberdeen one of the most exciting portal players to come through Lexington in a long while, reinforcing Kentucky’s back court to what may be the final degree.

Whether or not Mark Pope is officially done for next season, nobody is sure, but this commitment only further cements the fact that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Just like the  fanbase behind him, Coach Pope seems to never sleep.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending