BB Recruiting

Kentucky Reaches Out to Two Transfers: A Former Top-50 Recruit and All-Conference Player

Published

3 years ago

May 12, 2023

Phoenix Stevens

Pangos All-American Camp/Marshall Athletics

Isaiah Miranda (NC State)

As the time for entering the transfer portal came to an end, John Calipari and the Kentucky coaching staff contacted Isaiah Miranda, a 7’1, 225-pound transfer from NC State.

Despite joining the team mid-semester last season, he was eligible to play for NC State, but he didn’t. This is because Miranda reclassified to be in the 2022 class, but once he arrived on campus, it was clear that he was well behind on the court. So, he decided to use his freshman year as a redshirt year.

NC State assistant coach Joel Justus, who was previously an assistant at Kentucky, was the primary reason for Isaiah Miranda choosing to play in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Miranda entered his name into the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility, but it is interesting to see Kentucky making contact as a potential replacement based on Oscar Tshiebwe’s decision.

A Look At His High School Days and His Recruitment

While we don’t have any college statistics to go over, here’s what we know about his time in high school:

According to 247Sports, Isaiah Miranda was the 48th-best player and 11th-best center in the 2022 class. The four-star Rhode Island native was 7’0 and 200 lbs coming out of high school.

In December 2021, he took a visit to Kentucky, leaving Lexington “stargazed”. Miranda also stated, “Seeing everything they’ve done for people my size, how they utilize everybody and use the staff, nutritionists and everything, it was a crazy step into the next level.”

Miranda has already gotten taller and he has put on a significant amount of weight since he was being recruited in high school, so it would be interesting to see how much he would be able to add to the Kentucky roster next year, which just so happens to be very thin at the five spot.

Although his freshman year didn’t go quite as planned, Isaiah Miranda is still confident in his abilities, saying, “I’m a good guy that likes to play basketball, can do multiple things, not just like a typical big man.”

He added, “I feel like most people criticize me as a typical big man when they get a first glance of me, but as you can see, I can really play the more you watch me. I bring the energy for sure. Definitely have the best energy, that’s for sure.”

Here are some of Isaiah Miranda’s highlights below:

Andrew Taylor (Marshall)

The UK staff has also reached out to Corbin, KY native Andrew Taylor. Unlike Isaiah Miranda, Andrew Taylor has a lot of numbers from his time in college.

Taylor averaged an astounding 20.2 points per game (24th in the nation) for the Thundering Herd last season. He shot 41.7% from the field and 36.4% from three. He is also an underrated distributor, averaging 4.7 assists per game.

With that said, early reports of Taylor’s recruitment indicate that NIL will be a heavy factor in his recruitment.

Here are some highlights of Andrew Taylor as well:

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Basketball Receives Prediction to Land International Star Nikola Kusturica

Published

2 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.