As the basketball season shifts toward the offseason, Lexington is buzzing with excitement as the NCAA transfer portal deadline looms. College basketball players must submit their names to the portal by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, after which they can make decisions about their next moves at any time. So far, only one player has entered the portal from Coach Mark Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team, but that has not put a damper on the Wildcats’ efforts this spring.
In fact, Kentucky is bracing to welcome four new players from the transfer portal for the 2025-26 season. The team will see familiar faces joining from other schools: Mouhamed Dioubate (from Alabama), Jaland Lowe (from Pittsburgh), Jayden Quaintance (from Arizona State), and Kam Williams (from Tulane). Even with these additions, Coach Pope is still actively pursuing another talented guard who specializes in 3-point shooting.
On Tuesday, Kentucky is also expecting a visit from Rylan Griffen, a 6-foot-6 guard with experiences at both Alabama and Kansas. During his last season with Alabama, Griffen had notable performances, averaging 11.2 points per game. However, his stats dipped while at Kansas, and he averaged just 6.3 points during that time. Notably, Griffen played high school basketball with Cason Wallace, a former Wildcat now in the NBA.
The transfer portal is seeing plenty of action as the deadline approaches. Some notable college players who have recently entered include Chad Baker-Mazara from Auburn, PJ Haggerty from Memphis, and Andrej Stojakovic from California. Among these athletes, Haggerty stands out as a potential game-changer, having averaged 21.7 points for Memphis.
Meanwhile, Kentucky isn’t the only school making waves in the transfer market. Texas A&M has added former Indiana forward Mackenzie Mgbako and guard Jacari Lane, while Auburn has secured a commitment from Elyjah Freeman, a promising player from a Division II school.
As the deadline for the portal approaches, the landscape of college basketball is poised for change. The moves made in the coming days could significantly shape the upcoming season. Fans are left eagerly awaiting the decisions of their favorite players as new transfers and transfers make waves across the NCAA.
