The Kentucky Wildcats are entering a new era under head coach Mark Pope following former coach John Calipari's departure to Arkansas. Pope previously coached at BYU and Utah Valley after winning a national title as a player with Kentucky in 1996. He is building the Kentucky basketball roster from scratch after every player from last year's team left the program, and the Kentucky basketball recruiting class looks completely different as well. The Wildcats had the No. 2 class in the country, but five of the original six Kentucky basketball recruits decommitted following Calipari's departure.
Pope has used the spring transfer portal to build his first roster in Lexington, with seven transfers already committed to the school. He also has a pair of incoming freshmen, but there are still some moves to be made before the season begins. If you love the Wildcats, or just want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky.
The team of insiders at CatsPause.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding the Kentucky basketball coaching transition and roster changes. CatsPause has built a solid reputation over its 20+ years covering the Wildcats, and has deep-rooted sources inside and around the Kentucky athletic department. And right now, CatsPause is offering 50% off the first year of an annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up.
The team at CatsPause has full coverage of who is coming and who is going on the Kentucky basketball roster. Head to CatsPause now to see all the insider info.
Kentucky basketball roster departures
The 2024-25 Kentucky basketball roster is quickly starting to take shape, as Pope landed another key player earlier this week. San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year last season, committed to Kentucky as one of the top players from the college basketball transfer portal. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 27.6 minutes per game and has played in 11 career NCAA Tournament games.
Kentucky's defense is already looking like a strength, as three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year Amari Williams also committed earlier this month. He averaged 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.8 blocks per game for Drexel last season. Pope also has a pair of recruits committed in Travis Perry and Collin Chandler and is hosting multiple visitors in the coming days. Join CatsPause to see the latest on all of Kentucky's roster changes.
Kentucky basketball news, roster
The college basketball transfer portal is more important now than ever before, and Pope has used it to his advantage over the past few weeks. He has added seven players to the Kentucky basketball from the portal, including five players who averaged double-digit scoring last season. Wake Forest forward Andrew Carr is the top scorer of the group after averaging 13.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game during his fourth collegiate campaign.
He is joined by Dayton's Koby Brea (11.1 ppg), West Virginia's Kerr Kriisa (11.0), Oklahoma's Otega Oweh (11.4) and Drexel's Amari Williams (12.2) as former double-digit scorers. The other commitments are San Diego State's Lamont Butler and Oklahoma State's Brandon Garrison. Pope is also bringing in freshmen Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, who are both top-100 recruits, so he has built a strong roster thus far. Join CatsPause to get the latest on all of Kentucky's roster additions.
How to get insider Kentucky basketball roster updates
Pope could also be bringing at least one big-time BYU player with him, so be sure to join CatsPause to see who that is and get the rest of the insider roster news.
Who are the top names Kentucky basketball is pursuing under coach Mark Pope, and what former BYU player could land in Lexington? Go to CatsPause to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Wildcats, and find out. And reminder, CatsPause is offering 50% off the first year of an annual VIP membership*, so subscribe now before it's too late.
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