Kentucky Wildcat Basketball Recruiting

[jbcarol]

Jerry Jones -- yes, that Jerry Jones -- recruiting Kentucky commits to Arkansas

by: Jack Pilgrim

Jones, a co-captain of Arkansas' 1964 national championship football team and a native of North Little Rock, is reportedly funding the Razorbacks' NIL efforts in a major way. Coach Cal wants to bring his second-ranked recruiting class with him to Fayetteville, and according to college basketball insider Trilly Donovan, Jones is offering double what they were set to make at Kentucky.

"Jerry Jones is reportedly offering DOUBLE whatever the Kentucky commits were making to come to Arkansas, per @trillydonovan," College Basketball Report wrote on Twitter. "Jerry Jones is an Arkansas booster and reportedly helped them hire John Calipari last week."

Five of Kentucky's six commitments in the 2024 recruiting class have backed out since Coach Cal's departure with Travis Perry remaining as the lone signee for the Wildcats. Karter Knox was first, followed by Jayden Quaintance, Somto Cyril, Boogie Fland and Billy Richmond III.

None of the five have flipped their pledges to Arkansas with Zvonimir Ivisic being the lone Wildcat to follow Calipari to Fayetteville officially, transferring to join the Razorbacks earlier this week.

That class was ranked No. 2 overall.

Will Jerry Jones be the one to re-assemble them in Fayetteville

[jbcarol]

Joe Tipton@TiptonEdits

NEWS: BYU transfer Aly Khalifa has committed to Louisville, his agent @DanielPoneman tells @On3sports. He will be redshirting this upcoming season.

The 6-11 big man chose the 'Cards over Kentucky and his former head coach Mark Pope. He also considered a return to BYU.

https://on3.com/college/louisville-cardinals/news/byu-transfer-center-aly-khalifa-commits-to-louisville

[jbcarol]

Report: Kentucky to meet with Utah State transfer Great Osobor on Friday

by: Grant Grubbs
•

[Salty spork]

Joe Tipton@TiptonEdits

NEWS: BYU transfer Aly Khalifa has committed to Louisville, his agent @DanielPoneman tells @On3sports. He will be redshirting this upcoming season.

The 6-11 big man chose the 'Cards over Kentucky and his former head coach Mark Pope. He also considered a return to BYU.

https://on3.com/college/louisville-cardinals/news/byu-transfer-center-aly-khalifa-commits-to-louisville

Bit of a slap in the face to the pope

[jbcarol]

Tennessee Transfer Jonas Aidoo Hears From Kentucky's New Staff

by: Jacob Polacheck
•

Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo told KSR+ on Friday that he has heard from Kentucky's new staff since entering the transfer portal. Aidoo is rated as the No. 5 overall transfer

6-foot-11, 241-pound center declared for the NBA Draft while entering the transfer portal on April 11. He is set to take an official visit to Baylor from April 19-21.

[jbcarol]

Mark Pope battles Cal, et al. for Sean Stewart

by: Jack Pilgrim

Kentucky and Arkansas are among the first schools to reach out to Duke freshman Sean Stewart, who announced he'd be transferring on Friday.

The 6-9 freshman out of Windermere, Florida has heard from the following programs since going portaling:

Kansas State
Indiana
Kentucky
Arkansas
USC
Florida State
Cincinnati
Georgetown
Arizona State
Miami
Michigan
Ohio State
Baylor
Texas A&M
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
Cal
Stanford
South Carolina
Washington
Howard
UCSB
Harvard

Stewart's a former five-star recruit.

[jbcarol]

Kentucky Basketball Roster:

And then there were none

by: Jack Pilgrim
•

Mark Pope has a completely clean slate entering his debut season at Kentucky. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell were already certainties, followed by Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Ugonna Onyenso all entering the draft while Adou Thiero, Aaron Bradshaw, Joey Hart, Zvonimir Ivisic and DJ Wagner all hit the transfer portal.

That left just one player from the 2023-24 roster under John Calipari: Jordan Burks.

The former three-star recruit then made what we all expected official on Friday, entering the portal and exploring his transfer options, bringing that leftover total down to zero.

To take it a step further, Jayden Quaintance, Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, Billy Richmond and Somto Cyril are all free agents again after backing away from their Kentucky commitments

The one guarantee? 2022 four-star guard Collin Chandler, who announced his commitment to Kentucky on April 16. The former top-40 prospect is coming off a two-year

Now it's time for Pope to fill out the rest of the roster his way, bringing in his own talent from the transfer portal.

The rest of Calipari's pool is looking elsewhere.



IMPORTANT DATES
April 27: NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
May 1: Transfer Portal Closes
May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
May 13-19: NBA Combine
May 29: NCAA early entrant withdrawal deadline (11:59 pm ET)
June 16: NBA Draft Early Entry Entrant Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)
June 26: NBA Draft 2024 First Round
June 27: NBA Draft 2024 Second Round

[jbcarol]

Update on Amari Williams and Jason Hart
It's no longer a Pope - Pitino battle for Williams.

By Jason Marcum

Drexel transfer Amari Williams has arrived for his visit with Kentucky. During the trip, Jeff Goodman reported that Williams had cut his list to Kentucky and Mississippi State.

This was viewed as a Kentucky vs. St. John's battle.

Here is Mark Pope strolling with Williams on the grounds at Keeneland Race Track


Matt Jones
@KySportsRadio

Mark Pope and Amari Williams at Keeneland

[jbcarol]

@TiptonEdits
BREAKING: Duke transfer guard Jeremy Roach has committed to Baylor, he tells @On3sports.

https://on3.com/transfer-portal/news/duke-transfer-guard-jeremy-roach-commits-to-baylor

[jbcarol]

@TiptonEdits

BREAKING: Drexel transfer Amari Williams (@amxriwillixms) has committed to Mark Pope and Kentucky, his agent @georgelangberg of GSL Sports Group tells @On3Sports.

The 6-10 F/C is a three-time CAA Defensive POY and boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan.

https://on3.com/college/kentucky-wildcats/news/kentucky-lands-commitment-from-drexel-transfer-amari-williams

[jbcarol]

BYU transfer Richie Saunders visiting Kentucky

by: Sam Gillenwater
•

Pope made his first portal addition at Kentucky on Sunday with the transfer of Drexel's Amari Williams. Now, he could soon potentially earn a second, including his first from his former program back in Provo.

Per Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio, Richie Saunders, a reserve guard the past two seasons for BYU, is currently on a visit in Lexington. He came into the bluegrass to end the weekend and will check out campus through Monday.

Saunders played in 68 games for the Cougars under Pope the last two years. In that time at 18 minutes a game, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, and an assist. He did so while shooting 49.6% from the field and 35% from three.

[jbcarol]

Calipari, Arkanas land commitment from 5-star wing formerly pledged to Kentucky
Andrew Olson 

Calipari has flipped a 5-star prospect from his former team.

Karter Knox committed to Kentucky back on March 9. With Calipari leaving Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas, Knox has decided to play college ball in Fayetteville.

Knox, rated 5-stars and the No. 22 prospect overall for 2024, took to social media to announce his pledge to the Razorbacks. Knox also mentioned Kenny Payne, who has joined Cal's Arkansas staff as an assistant, in his decision to commit to the Hogs.

[jbcarol]

@JamieShaw5
BYU junior Atiki Ally Atiki has officially entered the Transfer Portal @On3sports has learned

The 6-10 center averaged 4.0 points in 11.0 minutes last season.

https://on3.com/db/atiki-ally-atiki-7995

[jbcarol]

BYU transfer Richie Saunders visiting Kentucky

by: Sam Gillenwater
•

@JonRothstein
Richie Saunders announced that he is withdrawing from the transfer portal and will return to BYU next season.

One of the top Glue Guys in college basketball.
9:07 AM · Apr 26, 2024

[Hog Hog]

@JamieShaw5
BYU junior Atiki Ally Atiki has officially entered the Transfer Portal @On3sports has learned

The 6-10 center averaged 4.0 points in 11.0 minutes last season.

https://on3.com/db/atiki-ally-atiki-7995

Now, this is a grown man that the UK folks can get behind!  No more of these talented freshmen!

[Hog Hog]

@JonRothstein
Richie Saunders announced that he is withdrawing from the transfer portal and will return to BYU next season.

One of the top Glue Guys in college basketball.
9:07 AM · Apr 26, 2024

This guy is too young and talented according to UK fans.  Had to send him back to BYU.

[jbcarol]

@JonRothstein
Former Kentucky commit Billy Richmond has announced a commitment to Arkansas.

John Calipari's first roster in Fayetteville is starting to take shape.
11:01 AM · Apr 26, 2024
·

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones
@KySportsRadio
Saunders going back to BYU a bit of a surprise to me. With the Portal it seems it's never done until it's done
10:37 PM · Apr 25, 2024
·

[jbcarol]

Former Kentucky pledge Billy Richmond commits to Arkansas

by: Jack Pilgrim

Ready for the most obvious news of the week? Billy Richmond will be following John Calipari to Arkansas.

The four-star wing's father played for Coach Cal at Memphis, setting up a clear path to follow in his footsteps no matter the end destination. It started at Kentucky, committing back in December over the likes of Memphis, Alabama and LSU. Now following Calipari's move to Fayetteville, he announced Friday he'll be a Razorback.



Richmond is the No. 24 overall prospect and No. 9 SF in the 2024 cycle.

He becomes the third former Kentucky pledge to follow Calipari to Fayetteville, joining Boogie Fland and Karter Knox among high school prospects. Zvonimir Ivisic is the lone transfer confirmed from the Wildcats, the first official addition for Coach Cal and the Razorbacks this cycle.

Jayden Quaintance confirmed he will not be signing with Arkansas after backing out from his National Letter of Intent to Kentucky. He's considering Louisville, Memphis and Arizona State after parting ways with the Wildcats and Razorbacks.

As for Somto Cyril, he visited Georgia Tech and Georgia as he looks for his next stop.

The sixth? He's staying in Lexington, Travis Perry confirming he'll be playing for Mark Pope.

[jbcarol]

@JonRothstein
Dallin Hall is returning to BYU and withdrawing his name from the transfer portal, per his IG page.

Significant Big 12 News.
12:22 PM · Apr 26, 2024
·

[jbcarol]

@On3sports
BREAKING: San Diego State guard Lamont Butler has committed to Kentucky, per @KySportsRadio.

He was a star in the 2023 NCAA Tournament👀

https://on3.com/college/kentucky-wildcats/news/san-diego-state-pg-lamont-butler-commits-to-kentucky-as-transfer