SEC Basketball

Former Kentucky forward Adou Thiero committed to Arkansas, according to Joe Tipton of On3.

Thiero entered the transfer portal in March before coach John Calipari announced his intention to leave the Wildcats. Now, he'll be reuniting with Calipari in Fayetteville

As a sophomore at UK, he averaged 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie called Thiero "one of the few Wildcats this year to consistently bring value on the defensive end."

"He rotated around the court with disruptive intent and attacked everything that went up on the glass," Vecenie wrote. "On the offensive end, his impact was more limited, but he consistently did all of the little things required."

In terms of the team he inherited, Calipari told reporters during his introductory press conference he pretty much had a blank slate. So many players from the 2023-24 had either graduated, declared for the 2024 NBA draft, or entered the portal.

That raised the question of how many underclassmen and 2024 recruits Coach Cal might be able to poach from his former employer.

Thiero is the second former Kentucky player to pledge his future to the Razorbacks after Zvonimir Ivišić announced in April he's making the trip south. Karter Knox, Billy Richmond and Boogie Fland were all Kentucky commits who reversed course and are now committed to the Razorbacks as well.

Calipari has also added former FAU guard Johnell Davis and former Tennessee center Jonas Aidoo out of the transfer portal.

There's no question the 65-year-old and his staff have done a great job to fill out their squad in a relatively short amount of time. Expectations are still likely to remain somewhat tempered in his first season due to the massive turnover within the Razorbacks.

In terms of the long-term goal of making Arkansas a Final Four team again, Calipari is arguably ahead of schedule so far.

Former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi was one of the most coveted players remaining in the transfer portal, and he reportedly decided to take his talents to the South.

Per Joe Tipton of On3.com, Omoruyi committed to Alabama on Sunday. He reportedly chose the Crimson Tide over North Carolina, Georgetown and Kansas State.

Tipton added that Omoruyi turned down a $2 million NIL offer from an unnamed school to commit to Alabama:

Brian Fonseca of NJ.com noted that Omoruyi visited all four schools before making his decision to join the Crimson Tide.

Omoruyi was the No. 3 center in On3.com's transfer portal rankings. Coming out of Roselle Catholic High School in New Jersey, 247Sports ranked him as a 4-star recruit and the No. 12 center in the class of 2020.

The 6'11", 240-pound big man developed into one of the best centers in Rutgers history, starting every game in each of the last three seasons. He ranks fourth in program history in career rebounds and field goal percentage and is tied for sixth in blocks.

Across 32 games in 2023-24, Omoruyi averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and a career-high 2.9 blocks, which ranked third in the nation.

Omoruyi helped lead the Scarlet Knights to two NCAA Tournament appearances in his career. The team's 2021 tournament berth was its first in 30 years and featured its first tournament victory in 38 years.

Omoruyi is joining an Alabama team that went 25-12 this past season and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Unfortunately, the Crimson Tide fell to UConn 86-72, and the Huskies went on to defeat Purdue and win their second straight national title.

Alabama will certainly be hungry to chase a championship in 2024-25, and adding Omoruyi gives the Crimson Tide a defensive anchor who will boost their chances of achieving their goal.

Mark Pope's hiring as Kentucky's new head basketball coach has now reached Vatican City.

Father Jim Sichko, a Lexington-based priest, presented Pope Francis with a customized Wildcats No. 23 jersey featuring Pope's last name.

Tyler Thompson of On3.com noted that Sichko was in Vatican City for meetings when he was able to present the Pope with a gift.

"He loved it," Sichko told KSR (h/t Thompson) of Pope Francis' reaction to the jersey.

It's unclear why No. 23 was picked, other than Nike is a Kentucky sponsor and this is a clever way to promote the Jordan Brand.

As much fun as it would be to imagine a Wildcats jersey hanging in Vatican Palace, the more likely destination for the jersey will be a museum.

Pope Francis previously donated a collection of signed shirts and pictures from the Italian and Argentinian soccer teams to Vatican museums.

Mark Pope is entering his first season as Kentucky's head coach after spending the past five seasons at BYU. He might be seeking some spiritual help because replacing John Calipari won't be an easy task.

Even though Calipari's tenure ended on a down note with no Sweet 16 appearances in his final five years, the Wildcats were often among the best teams in college basketball for 15 seasons.

Mark Pope will be looking to get Kentucky back to the top of the college basketball world for the first time since 2011-12. If he can solicit a blessing or two from Pope Francis through osmosis with the jersey to help him achieve that goal, no one in Lexington will complain.

Kerr Kriisa's search for a new home has come to an end with Kentucky landing the prized transfer.

Kriisa told ESPN's Jonathan Givony he has committed to play for the Wildcats after spending last season at West Virginia.

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 reported on April 2 that Kriisa was entering the transfer portal.

Kriisa began his college career at Arizona in 2020. He spent three seasons with the Wildcats, starting 65 of 68 games played over his final two years.

The 23-year-old transferred to West Virginia in April 2023 but re-entered the portal three months later when head coach Bob Huggins retired in the wake of a DUI arrest.

Kriis reaffirmed his commitment to the Mountaineers and interim head coach Josh Eilert for the 2023-24 season.

Kriisa did receive a nine-game suspension prior to the start of the season after he admitted to receiving impermissible benefits. The Estonia native played every game for West Virginia after returning to the lineup on Dec. 16.

In 23 starts last season, Kriisa averaged a career-high 11.0 points on 42.4 percent three-point shooting and 4.7 assists per game.

New Wildcats head coach Mark Pope has now added seven players via the transfer portal since being hired on April 12. He is taking over for John Calipari, who left the program after 15 seasons to take over as head coach at Arkansas.

The Wildcats have the third-ranked transfer class in the nation, behind Indiana and Kansas.

After being hired to replace John Calipari as Kentucky head coach, Mark Pope has landed one of the best players remaining in the transfer portal.

Dayton transfer guard Koby Brea announced on Wednesday that he has committed to play for Pope and Kentucky:

Brea is coming off a historic shooting season for the Flyers. Per ESPN's Jonathan Givony, he became the fourth player in college basketball history to make 100 three-pointers while connecting on 50 percent of his attempts, joining Salim Stoudamire (2005), Mike Iuzzolino (1991) and Steve Kerr (1988).

Givony noted that Brea chose the Wildcats over a long list of suitors that included Duke, North Carolina, Kansas and back-to-back reigning national champion UConn.

"Growing up, I was told I was dreaming too big whenever I'd say my dream was to play for the University of Kentucky," Brea said. "I feel like God does everything for a reason, and He has put me in a position where I'm able to play for my dream school in my last year of college, while playing for something bigger than myself."

Brea added that playing for Pope, whose BYU team ranked third in three-point attempts this past season, was a big reason for his decision.

"His style of play complements my strengths as a basketball player," Brea said. "He's proven to be one of the best when it comes to utilizing the 3-pointer. There's nobody in college basketball who can shoot off the catch, off the bounce and off the move all together the way I do."

Brea had declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility and entering the transfer portal, and he ultimately decided to return for his senior season. He's now the sixth transfer to commit to Kentucky, joining fifth-year seniors Amari Williams (Drexel), Lamont Butler (San Diego State) and Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) junior Otega Oweh (Oklahoma) and sophomore Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State).

If you have $4 million to burn, you can live like a legendary college basketball coach.

According to Drew Franklin of Kentucky Sports Radio, the home belonging to former Kentucky coach John Calipari was publicly listed for sale. The 9,615-square foot mansion has five bedrooms, eight bathrooms and is available for $3.99 million.

Among the amenities are an outdoor pool with a pool house and a basketball court. Maybe you can even negotiate to include in the purchase the couch in Calipari's living room on which he announced he was leaving the Wildcats:

Calipari left UK after 15 seasons to take the Arkansas job. Based on the sales history, it appears he kept the same home in Lexington through the entirety of his Wildcats tenure. The house was purchased for just under $1.9 million in May 2009, a month after he was hired.

USA Today's Steve Berkowitz reported Coach Cal signed a five-year, $38 million contract with the Razorbacks, and the deal includes incremental bonuses based on how far the team advances in the NCAA tournament.

Depending on how long his house stays on the market, the 65-year-old might have another big payday coming his way.

Former Florida Atlantic star guard Johnell Davis announced on Wednesday that he will transfer to Arkansas, joining new Razorbacks head coach John Calipari.

Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 reported on Tuesday that Davis was expected to join the Razorbacks, adding that Davis was offered a NIL deal worth more than $1 million.

In 2022-23, Davis starred for an FAU team that made the Final Four as a No. 8 seed. Last season, Davis averaged a career-high 18.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game for the Owls.

With FAU head coach Dusty May leaving for Michigan, players have left town, including center Vladislav Goldin to join his coach with the Wolverines. Now Davis, who was the top player available on the transfer portal per On3, is a Razorback.

Arkansas has a great class of 2024 thus far, with the school ranking third overall, per 247Sports. Calipari got three top-30 commits to join the team in 4-stars Karter Knox, Billy Richmond and Boogie Fland. Arkansas also added some size in the transfer portal via Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo and Kentucky center Zvonimir Ivisic.

Now Davis is aboard for an Arkansas team that's looking great on paper going into next season.

Former Wake Forest forward Andrew Carr announced his commitment to Kentucky on Sunday night.

According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Carr chose to join the Wildcats over Texas Tech and Villanova.

The 6'10" forward was the third player to recently commit to new head coach Mark Pope's team, as San Diego State guard Lamont Butler joined Kentucky on Friday while Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh chose the Wildcats on Saturday (h/t Borzello).

Carr spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Delaware before transferring to Wake Forest ahead of the 2022-23 season. He's currently coming off his highest-scoring year yet, averaging 13.5 points in 32.5 minutes per game.

The 22-year-old also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks each night while maintaining his efficiency both inside and outside the arc. Carr connected on 37.1 percent of his 2.8 three-point attempts per game, shooting 52.6 percent from the field overall. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

"Andrew understands what it means to wear this jersey and he understands the assignment and why he is coming to Lexington," Pope said, per the school's official website. "He's been a captain of every team he's ever been associated with. He's a steadying force and a great leader who Kentucky fans are going to love."

After the former BYU head coach took over at Kentucky following the departure of the legendary John Calipari, he inherited a roster of zero scholarship players. Following Carr's decision, Pope now has six players.

As Pope looks to round out the roster, Borzello noted that Kentucky is "in heavy pursuit" of former Utah State forward Great Osobor, who entered the portal on April 3 after averaging 17.7 points per game in his junior season with the Aggies.

New Arkansas head coach John Calipari has another Kentucky flip.

Fland, a 5-star combo guard who previously signed a National Letter of Intent with the Wildcats, requested to be released from that commitment after Calipari left Kentucky to sign on with the Razorbacks.

And Collin Ginnan of On3 reported Thursday that Fland was committing to Arkansas.

Fland, a 6'2" and 170-pound guard from Archbishop Stepinac, is considered the No. 19 prospect overall in the Class of 2024, the No. 2 combo guard and the No. 3 player from the state of New York, according to 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

Adam Finklestein of the scouting site called Fland a "skilled guard whose biggest asset is his ability to shoot the basketball," though he's "developed into a reliable secondary ball-handler who has become increasingly capable of initiating offense with the ball in his hands."

Calipari has long been renowned for his recruiting ability, and he's already managed to bring both Fland and Karter Knox—a 5-star small forward who is considered the No. 22 overall player in the Class of 2024, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings—from Kentucky to Arkansas with him.

Zvonimir Ivisic, a 4-star center, is also transferring from Kentucky to Arkansas.

"I made the lifetime decision to come to college for [a] few reasons," Ivisic wrote in a statement. "Main ones to win a national championship and go to the NBA. Monumental part of that decision was coach Cal, and no one does both of those at the same time than him. That's why I am excited to announce that I am committing to coach Cal and Arkansas Razorbacks."

The Razorbacks now have the No. 24 overall recruiting class in 2024, per 247Sports. The Calipari Effect is in full swing.

Granted, Kentucky fans will note that Calipari struggled turning talented recruiting classes into legitimate contenders in recent seasons. Kentucky hasn't gotten past the first weekend of the NCAA tournament since the 2018-19 season, last reached the Final Four in the 2014-15 campaign and hasn't won a title since 2011-12.

Arkansas will be hoping a change of scenery does both Coach Cal and the Razorbacks a world of good. He's certainly bringing some talent with him.

Jayden Quaintance won't be joining head coach John Calipari in Fayetteville.

247Sports' Eric Bossi and ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported Quaintance has removed Arkansas from his list of contenders after reopening his recruitment.

The 6'9" center originally signed with Kentucky but requested to be released from his letter of intent after Calipari left and took the Razorbacks job. He's the No. 8 overall recruit in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2024 class.

A natural question to ask was whether Quaintance would simply join the Razorbacks.

Calipari was honest when he discussed the state of his roster during his introductory press conference. He said in effect "there is no team" because the players due to return had either entered the transfer portal or started exploring their NBA options.

Beyond Calipari's reputation as a coach, On3's Pete Nakos reported the men's basketball program will have a sizable NIL fund from which to draw. Those two factors allow for Arkansas to quickly replenish its ranks.

Zvonimir Ivišić announced on April 15 that he's joining the Razorbacks after spending his freshman year under Calipari at Kentucky.

For Quaintance, circling back to Kentucky is still on the table. Borzello reported an in-home visit with Wildcats personnel was scheduled for Tuesday, and his decision to remove Arkansas from the mix showed how Calipari wasn't the sole factor behind his original commitment.

Per Borzello, Memphis and Louisville are still in the running too.

By this point, most schools have finalized their 2024 classes and don't have the flexibility to add another player. But Quaintance is the highest-ranked uncommitted prospect on the board, so the coaches who have him on their radar will all mount a serious effort at the 11th hour.

In that respect, nobody has more to gain than Mark Pope, Calipari's replacement at Kentucky. Securing Quaintance's signature for a second time would be a major coup ahead of his first season in charge.