The transfer portal may be closed, but that doesn’t mean roster movement is done.
Kentucky Basketball has already made some significant headway in the transfer portal, securing commitments from Washington point guard Zoom Diallo, Furman guard Alex Wilkins, and 6-foot-11 international pro Ousmane N’Diaye. They have also signed Mason Williams and Zyon Hawthorne out of the high school ranks.
But the roster is far from finished. Pope still has glaring needs on the wing and in the frontcourt, and his staff
is navigating a chaotic landscape.
As we approach May, here is a complete reset of the Kentucky basketball Big Board and the prospects most likely to commit to the Bluegrass next.
The prospects still in the portal
Pope has laid the groundwork with several high-level transfers, and these names are the most likely to drop a commitment graphic in the near future.
- Jerone Morton (Guard, Washington State): The former George Rogers Clark star and Kentucky native is fresh off a highly successful official visit to Lexington. Morton averaged 7.8 points and 2.6 assists while shooting nearly 44 percent from the floor last season.
- Justin McBride (Forward, James Madison): The 6-foot-7 Third Team All-Sun Belt selection visited Kentucky last week. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season.
- Devin Williams (Forward, Florida Atlantic): Pope recruited Williams out of high school during his BYU tenure, and that relationship is paying off in the portal. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 7.5 points and 2.6 blocks last season.
- Joson Sanon (Shooting Guard, St. John’s): Pope has reached out to the 6-foot-5 guard, but there hasn’t been a lot of movement on this one.
The NBA Draft waiting game
This is where the roster math gets incredibly complicated for a lot of programs. Pope is aiming for the absolute top of the transfer portal class, but his primary targets are all testing the NBA Draft waters. Kentucky has to keep scholarships open, hoping these stars opt to return to college.
- Milan Momcilovic (Forward, Iowa State): The top 3-point shooter in college basketball last season (48.7%). He has a do-not-contact tag on in the portal as he navigates the draft process.
- Allen Graves (Forward, Santa Clara): Another sharpshooting big man who averaged 11.8 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting over 41 percent from deep. Graves is steadily climbing NBA Draft boards (currently Top 25 on ESPN), so it is unlikely he comes back to school.
- Tounde Yessoufou (Small Forward, Baylor): The former 5-star wing averaged 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds as a freshman. Right now, he is leaning toward staying in the draft, but things may change after the combine. If he unexpectedly pulls his name out, UCLA is considered the frontrunner, though UK has expressed major interest.
High school & international prospects
With the transfer portal pipeline heavily dependent on the NBA Draft, Pope hasn’t quit on the high school ranks.
- Ryan Hampton (2027 5-Star Prospect): The No. 5 overall prospect in the 2027 class is seriously considering reclassifying to 2026. Pope visited yesterday, and landing a reclassified Hampton would inject pure, elite talent onto the wing.
- The International Pipeline: After missing out on Miikka Muurinen, Pope is still mining the international ranks. Sayon Keita remains an option (though Duke is currently the team to beat), while international wing Eric Del Castillo and big man Mouhamed “Momo” Faye are firmly on the coaching staff’s radar if the domestic portal dries up.
The next few weeks will define Mark Pope’s third season. Which of these dominoes do you think falls next?
