Men’s Basketball Transfer Portal: Kentucky’s High-Priced Roster, Final Things to Watch
The transfer portal in men’s college basketball closes at the end of the day Tuesday. There may be a slow trickle of names that enter in the days following, as rules indicate that a player must only express his intention to transfer before the window closes to allow for delays by compliance departments. Still, the pool of players that will be available this spring is close to complete. What should you know about what’s happening in the portal right now and what to look for when the portal closes? Here’s a rundown of the latest happenings and intel.
Kentucky rounds out high-priced roster
Kentucky likely rounded out its roster Monday by adding Florida transfer Denzel Aberdeen, who played a key role off the bench for the national champion Gators. While it’d be foolish to ever say a team is truly “done” recruiting in this day and age, the Wildcats have reportedly ended all other portal pursuits. Save a late NBA draft defection by star wing Otega Oweh, the Kentucky roster looks all but set for 2025–26.
In total, Mark Pope and staff added five transfers, two prep freshmen and one international freshman to go with their five expected returners. Kentucky’s total expenditures to piece that roster together are expected to be, according to Sports Illustrated sources, well north of $10 million. There’s a real chance the Wildcats end up with the highest-paid roster in college basketball next season, though a late swing by BYU or another program with a top budget could push Kentucky’s final figure.
The biggest fish from the portal class is Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance, a projected top-10 pick in the 2026 draft and one of the best rim protectors in college basketball. Quaintance is coming off a torn ACL suffered in March, and while he and his camp have projected optimism that he could be ready to go by the start of the season in November, it seems likely they won’t take too many chances rushing him back given his bright future. That made him a risky investment for most programs but more palatable for the Wildcats given Kentucky’s strong financial standing and stable of bigs behind him in Brandon Garrison and Malachi Moreno. If he’s healthy, he’s a game-changing defensive player who could single-handedly help the Wildcats defense make huge strides. Add in Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate at power forward and Kentucky should have significantly more athleticism and physicality up front and on the glass compared to Pope’s first season.
The collection of backcourt talent is a fascinating and potentially high-variance one. Pope bet big on Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe, who had a fairly disappointing sophomore year on a Pittsburgh team that really struggled in ACC play. Lowe shot just 38% from the field and 27% from three this season, and Pittsburgh was better in his minutes off the floor, per Hoop-Explorer. At his best though, he’s the type of speedy shot creator who could thrive in Pope’s offensive system. You’d expect to see him starting at point guard next to either Aberdeen, a steady veteran capable of playing on or off the ball, or Jasper Johnson, a high-scoring freshman. Oweh profiles as a potential All-American on the wing, though his limited three-point shooting may be insulated less in certain lineups than it was in 2024–25.
After going to the Sweet 16 in Pope’s first season, Kentucky armed Pope with remarkable resources to build a roster capable of winning the SEC and competing for a national title in his second year on the job. Quaintance’s health could play a significant part in whether those aspirations are realized. But if Pope’s big backcourt investments pay off and the Wildcats have a healthy Quaintance up front, this roster could be quite dangerous.
Explaining the rush of ineligible portal entrants
The vast majority of portal entrants in the final days leading into the entry deadline Tuesday have been players without any eligibility remaining as things currently stand. There are well over 100 players currently in the portal who’ve exhausted their eligibility and are now hoping either for a waiver, rule change or some sort of legal action that’d give them another chance to play college basketball.
