SEC Basketball

After initially being very sure about his intention to turn pro, Ugonna Onyenso is going to keep his college options open.

According to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68, Onyenso will enter the transfer portal after playing two seasons at the University of Kentucky.

The sophomore forward told ESPN's Jonathan Givony earlier this month he was declaring for the 2024 NBA draft and was "not thinking about coming back to play college basketball."

Onyenso's initial decision to turn pro came on April 15, six days after John Calipari confirmed he was leaving Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas.

The 19-year-old Onyenso was part of the Wildcats' 2022 recruiting class that was ranked as the third-best in the nation, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was a 4-star prospect and ninth-ranked center.

After playing sparingly as a freshman, Onyenso took on a more prominent role last season. He averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game in 24 appearances (14 starts).

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman didn't have Onyenso included in his most recent mock draft.

When Onyenso originally committed to Kentucky in August 2022, he was also considering Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Tennessee.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Onyenso decides to follow Calipari to Arkansas. The Razorbacks have already landed Zvonimir Ivisic from the transfer portal after he spent last season with Kentucky.

Onyenso also has the ability to explore various schools that will be intrigued by the possibility of adding a seven-footer with a wingspan of 7'5" who showed tremendous shot-blocking ability last season.

It's also possible Onyenso gets positive feedback from NBA teams and elects to remain in the draft.

There's plenty of time for Onyenso to go through the process before making a decision. The deadline for players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility is May 29.

John Calipari isn't the only one going from Kentucky to Arkansas.

Class of 2024 recruit Karter Knox elected to follow the coach to Arkansas on Monday after previously decommitting from Kentucky, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

"Throughout my whole recruiting process, Coach Cal always said he wants to make me a pro, and I trust that he will do that for me at Arkansas," Knox said. "I also have a great relationship with Coach Kenny Payne, so getting to play for two coaches I admire is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to getting there, getting to work and bringing a winning mentality to Fayetteville."

Knox is a 5-star prospect and the No. 22 overall player in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The small forward's connection to Calipari goes beyond his initial decision to join the Wildcats.

He is the younger brother of Kevin Knox, who played for Calipari at Kentucky before he was the No. 9 overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft. The new Arkansas coach already helped one member of the family reach the sport's highest level and will look to do the same with the younger brother.

Knox was yet another departure from Kentucky's once promising recruiting class.

Givony noted Jayden Quaintance, Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond and Somto Cyril all decommitted from the Wildcats and could follow Knox to Arkansas. The Razorbacks have no shortage of openings since all 13 of their scholarship players from the 2023-24 campaign either entered the NBA draft, entered the transfer portal or ran out of eligibility.

While that would be cause for concern for many, this is a different era of college basketball. With the transfer portal readily available and many of his recruits at Kentucky now looking for new schools, Calipari started his tenure with a fresh slate when it came to roster building.

He is known as one of the best recruiters in the sport, so it wouldn't be surprising if the Razorbacks end up with quite the impressive team during his first season.

Landing players like Knox, who is an excellent scorer and can extend his offensive game beyond the arc, is an ideal place to start as Calipari looks to build another SEC powerhouse following his headline-making departure from Kentucky.

After being hired as head coach of Kentucky, Mark Pope has landed one of the top players in the transfer portal.

Per Joe Tipton of On3.com, Drexel big man Amari Williams' agents said their client has committed to Pope and the Wildcats on Sunday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Williams will continue to explore the NBA pre-draft process before the May 29 deadline to decide whether he remain in the draft or withdraw and return to school.

Williams is an impressive addition, especially considering he's Pope's first recruit. The 6'10" senior became the first player in CAA history to three-peat as Defensive Player of the Year after leading the conference with 1.8 blocks per game to go with averages of 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He helped lead Drexel to a top-30 national ranking in scoring defense and a 20-12 record, the program's first 20-win season since 2012.

Prior to joining Kentucky, Pope coached at BYU for five seasons and led the team to four 20-win seasons and two NCAA Tournament appearances. He was hired to replace longtime Wildcats head coach John Calipari, who accepted a head coaching position at Arkansas after this season.

Alex Weber of On3.com noted that if Williams chooses to withdraw from the NBA draft, he will immediately fill a hole on the Kentucky roster.

"This addition gives the 'Cats an old bruiser down low, an elite defensive presence and a better rebounder than anyone off their most recent team," Weber stated. "Mark Pope is getting off to a fine start."

One of the top freshmen in the country is ready to turn pro.

Kentucky freshman guard Reed Sheppard announced on Thursday that he is entering the 2024 NBA draft. The SEC Freshman of the Year is a projected lottery pick, with B/R's Jonathan Wasserman predicting in his latest mock draft that Sheppard could go as high as No. 3 to the San Antonio Spurs.

"I'm going all-in," Sheppard told ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "The opportunity I have is great. I've gotten really good feedback showing where I can be in the draft. I had an unbelievable year at Kentucky. It was such a fun year. It's not easy leaving the fans and the school I dreamed of playing at. I need to do what's best for me, and that's heading to the NBA."

Sheppard was also named second-team All-SEC after appearing in all 33 games for Kentucky with five starts and averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 52.1 percent from beyond the arc. His shooting efficiency makes him an attractive NBA prospect.

"My teammates and coaches put confidence in me, telling me you need to shoot," Sheppard said. "I was fortunate to be able to get in the gym and work with [Kentucky assistant] coach John Welch every day. He's one of the best trainers you'll find."

Despite earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky was eliminated in the Round of 64 by Oakland in one of the biggest upsets of March Madness. After the season, longtime head coach John Calipari accepted the same position at Arkansas and was replaced by former BYU head coach Mark Pope.

"The goal at Kentucky is to play for a national championship," Sheppard said. "I thought we had a good shot at it. Our team was special, and losing the way we did was hard. All the relationships we built and how close we were made this decision a lot harder."

The 2024 NBA draft will be held on June 26-27 in New York City.

New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is looking to boost his talent pool by gauging the interest of Stanford guard Andrej Stojaković in transferring to Lexington.

Stojaković, the son of former NBA player Peja Stojaković, told Jacob Polacheck of On3.com and Kentucky Sports Radio the Wildcats have reached out to him.

Stojaković entered the transfer portal on March 19 after Stanford fired head coach Jerod Haase. The 19-year-old appeared in all 32 games for the Cardinal during his freshman season.

The Wildcats are in the process of trying to rebuild their roster after a recent talent exodus following John Calipari's departure. Incoming recruits Karter Knox, Jayden Quaintance, Somto Cyril, Boogie Fland and Billy Richmond have all decommitted from the program.

Kentucky could have challenged Duke for the top overall class in the 2024 recruiting cycle with its incoming talent.

Instead, Pope and his staff are in the process of salvaging things right now. The Wildcats currently have the 78th-ranked class in the nation with Travis Perry the only recruit who has signed a letter of intent.

That ranking will go up after Collin Chandler told Travis Branham of 247Sports on Tuesday he was released from his letter of intent at BYU in order to follow Pope to Kentucky.

Chandler was a 4-star recruit in the 2022 class, but he delayed starting his college career to go on a two-year mission. He's expected to return from his mission on May 2.

Stojaković was a 5-star prospect and No. 25 overall recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game last season at Stanford.

Prior to committing to Stanford in November 2022, Stojaković was also considering Texas, UCLA and Oregon.

Another day and another Kentucky departure.

Hunter Shelton of On 3 reported Tuesday that recruiting prospect Billy Richmond decommitted from the Wildcats after head coach John Calipari left the program for Arkansas. Richmond is a 5-star prospect and the No. 25 overall player and No. 9 small forward in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Shelton previously reported that point guard Boogie Fland, center Jayden Quaintance, center Somto Cyril and forward Karter Knox departed from Kentucky's once highly-regarded 2024 recruiting class.

It is not just incoming recruits that are leaving.

Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald Leader reported Tuesday that point guard D.J. Wagner entered the transfer portal on the same day that big man Aaron Bradshaw decided to transfer to Ohio State.

"Wagner's decision leaves only three Kentucky players—Reed Sheppard, Ugonna Onyenso and Jordan Burks—who have not yet entered the transfer portal or declared for the NBA draft," Roberts wrote while noting Sheppard could head to the NBA and the other two may end up leaving anyway.

Since then, Onyenso declared for the NBA draft, leaving the Wildcats even more shorthanded as they look ahead to the 2024-25 campaign.

In today's world of college sports, roster turnover is expected even with no coaching changes. The ability to enter the transfer portal is enticing to many players, and a number of the Kentucky players likely would have explored the NBA draft even if Calipari was still the coach.

Still, the loss of incoming recruits such as Richmond makes things all the more difficult for new head coach Mark Pope.

He is already under the microscope as the replacement for a coach who won a national championship and reached four Final Fours during his time at Kentucky, and figuring out a way to build a contender even with so many departures is his first challenge.

So many highly-regarded players leaving could make the Wildcats all the more enticing for players in the transfer portal, though, as they could see the opportunity for immediate playing time at one of the best programs in the sport.

Mark Pope has landed his first major addition since being hired to replace John Calipari as Kentucky's head coach.

Collin Chandler told Travis Branham of 247Sports he will join the Wildcats after being released from his national letter of intent to BYU:

"I am grateful for Cougar Nation in taking me in as family from day one and supporting me in a precious time of my life. I have been blessed to be able to experience such a passionate and loving fan base. I am especially grateful for Coach Pope and the mentorship and trust he has given me from the very beginning.

"The journey of chasing dreams is beautiful. Chasing my dreams and aspirations in the game of basketball has always brought me so much joy and fulfillment. The game means the world to me.

"I am grateful for Cougar Nation in taking me in as family from day one and supporting me in a precious time of my life. I have been blessed to be able to experience such a passionate and loving fan base. I am especially grateful for Coach Pope and the mentorship and trust he has given me from the very beginning.

"This journey has already taken me to places i could never have imagined. Growing up, my biggest dream was to play against the best players in the world. I am beyond grateful to be given the opportunity to do just that. Through the past couple of days, the path I had before envisioned has been blurred. After talking with my family and many prayers, this vision has become clearer than ever. I am humbled to get the opportunity to continue this journey at the University of Kentucky! Go Wildcats!"

Chandler was the No. 37 overall recruit in the 2022 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He signed a national letter of intent with BYU in November 2021, but delayed starting his college career to serve a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Robby McCombs of Vanquish the Foe noted Chandler is expected to return from his mission on May 2.

At the time of his signing with BYU, Chandler was the highest-ranked recruit to join the team since Pope was hired as head coach in April 2019.

Pope left BYU on April 12 to take the same position at Kentucky. He was hired to replace John Calipari, who moved to Arkansas. The Wildcats' roster has been picked apart in the wake of Calipari's departure.

D.J. Wagner entered the transfer portal on Monday. Zvonimir Ivišić announced on Monday he was leaving Kentucky to join Calipari with the Razorbacks. Aaron Bradshaw committed to Ohio State after entering the transfer portal.

When Chandler was coming out of high school, Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports called him a "competitive guard who always plays in attack mode" and "a great shooter off the catch or dribble and knocks down the three-point shot with consistency."

Chandler is the third commit for Kentucky in the 2024 recruiting class. He joins guards Travis Perry and Billy Richmond as additions to the Wildcats roster for next season.

Former Kentucky forward Zvonimir Ivisic announced his decision to transfer to Arkansas and reunite with head coach John Calipari on Monday.

Ivisic made the announcement on Instagram.

The 20-year-old only played in 15 contests during his freshman season, as he was not cleared to play by the NCAA until Jan. 20 (via Grant Grubbs of On3.com). He averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in 11.7 minutes per game.

Ivisic entered the transfer portal on April 13, a few days after Calipari announced that he would be leaving Kentucky after 15 years with the program.

The longtime Wildcats head coach was adamantly against the NCAA's hesitancy to allow Ivisic to play.

"It's not fair," Calipari said, per Grubbs. "For him to go through what he did to get into school for two months, what he's doing academically, how he is as a teammate. Every day he walks in, he says, 'Hey, Coach Cal!' Yesterday, or two days ago, I said to him, you know, I just want you to know I feel bad because I don't like how you were treated from the beginning to now."

Ivisic's eligibility was up in the air because he played professional basketball for SC Derby in the Montenegrin Basketball League and ABA Derby for two seasons from 2021 through 2023.

The 7'2" big should have a larger role in his sophomore campaign, as he showed some promise in his limited 2023-24 playing time. He shot 37.5 percent from three on 16 total attempts, while he scored a season-high 18 points in just 20 minutes during a win over Alabama on Feb. 24.

Calipari has now landed his first commitment with the Razorbacks as he attempts to turn around a program that finished with a record of 16-17 during the 2023-24 season.

Kentucky guard DJ Wagner is entering the transfer portal, becoming the latest high-profile player to leave Kentucky after coach John Calipari's exit.

Travis Branham of 247Sports reported Wagner will be "completely open" as he explores his options.

A 2023 McDonald's All-American, Wagner was a 5-star recruit and the top combo guard in the nation when he arrived at Kentucky last year. He had an inconsistent freshman season under Calipari, averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game.

Kentucky has already lost guard Rob Dillingham and forward Justin Edwards to the NBA draft, and guard Reed Sheppard is expected to follow. Wagner joins guard Adou Thiero and centers Aaron Bradshaw and Zvonimir Ivišić in the transfer portal.

High-profile recruits Boogie Fland, Jayden Quaintance, Karter Knox and Somto Cyril have also re-opened their commitment in wake of Calipari leaving Kentucky for Arkansas. The Wildcats quickly hired BYU's Mark Pope as Calipari's replacement, but it's clear he'll have to scramble in order to field a competitive roster.

Calipari will likely bring some of the transfer portal and previously recruited players along with him to Arkansas. The Razorbacks' roster is a blank slate at this point, with only one player on their 2024-25 team.

Wagner, the son of former NBA guard Dajuan Wagner, had offers from nearly every major program in the country coming out of high school and won't lack for suitors again in the transfer portal. While his disappointing freshman season at Kentucky harmed his draft stock, it would not be a surprise to see Wagner join Calipari in a more starring role at Arkansas.

Kentucky signee Boogie Fland has requested to be released from his letter of intent, according to Joe Tipton of On3.

Fland, who signed his NLI in November, is the No. 2 combo guard and No. 18 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2024 class.

His decision to reverse course comes after head coach John Calipari left the Wildcats to take the Arkansas job. Kentucky quickly hired Mark Pope as his replacement.

Pope's first order or business will be rebuilding what was on pace to be among the strongest collections of talent from this year's recruiting cycle. Kentucky lost commitments from 5-star center Jayden Quaintance, 5-star small forward Karter Knox and 4-star Somto Cyril before Fland decided to reexamine his future.

Forward Zvonimir Ivisic, guard Joey Hart, forward Aaron Bradshaw, forward Adou Thiero and D.J. Wagner have all entered the transfer portal as well, compounding the challenge ahead for Pope and his staff.

For Fland, a reunion with Calipari on the Razorbacks could be in order. Coach Cal was blunt about the state of the roster during his introductory press conference and stressed the need for reinforcements.

Fland will have plenty of other suitors as well given his high status within the 2024 class.

"Fland is a skilled guard whose biggest asset is his ability to shoot the basketball," 247Sports' Adam Finkelstein wrote in his most recent scouting report. "Like few other players in high school basketball, he has an ability to heat up and start making tough shots from long-range. However, his willingness to settle for those tough shots, can impact his efficiency. The 30% he shot from behind the three-point line in EYBL came in direct correlation to his shot selection, since he's undoubtedly a better shooter than those numbers indicate."

Succeeding a legend is never easy and the underwhelming end to Calipari's tenure won't ease the pressure or level of expectations on Pope too much.

Given the player exodus from Lexington, the incoming coach might get a bit of a mulligan in his first year, though.