“Gotta be between Kentucky and Arkansas”: College hoops fans choose among Auburn, Alabama and more for best off-season team

Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn and Alabama led the debate as college basketball fans shared their opinions on which program had the best offseason. In an Instagram post from Field of 68 on Sunday, fans were asked to pick who had the best offseason, and they did not disappoint.

According to the post, the Kentucky Wildcats were graded A by Rob Dauster and A- by Jeff Goodman. Kentucky had six transfers and four returnees. The Alabama Crimson Tide was graded B+ by both Jeff Goodman and Matt McCall. They had four transfers and five returnees.

The Auburn Tigers were graded B by both Goodman and McCall, with six transfers and one returnee. The Arkansas Razorbacks were graded A- by Dauster and Goodman, with two transfers and four returnees.

“Offseason Grades 🏀 We graded Auburn, Alabama, Kentucky and Arkansas 👀” the caption read.

Fans were quick to argue about which powerhouse had the best summer, with Kentucky and Arkansas emerging as the most common answers, while Auburn, Alabama and Florida also received some attention.

“It’s gotta be between Kentucky and Arkansas,” a fan commented.

“Kentucky, it’s not close lol,” another fan wrote.

Other fans argued as to which program placed itself in the best position heading into the season. Some comments sparked agreement from fellow fans who expressed their thoughts on the grading.

“Kentucky man. Very well-rounded squad through and through,” a fan said.

“Arkansas easy,” one commenter wrote.

“Kentucky definitely spent the most NIL money but I’m sticking with my Hogs,” another fan commented.

College hoops fans choose among Auburn, Alabama and more for best off-season team - Images source: Instagram/fieldof68

Auburn and Alabama also entered the conversation, though to a lesser extent. Kentucky appeared to be the consensus favorite in the comment section.

Kentucky’s Mark Pope shares his opinion on the transfer portal in college basketball

Kentucky coach Mark Pope recently joined Matt Norlander on the Eye On College Basketball Podcast, sharing his perspective on how the transfer portal could be improved.

For college basketball, the portal opens before the NCAA Tournament even ends, which means coaches have to juggle preparing for March Madness while also recruiting players from the portal.

“If I could change it, I would probably move it to the day after the national championship game,” Pope said. “And make it a really tight window, make it a five-day window. That way, everyone’s had time to evaluate, everyone’s had time to see, and just make it a shorter window so we could get through the process. But I say that also acknowledging that that answer raises a lot of issues, too. There’s no perfect answer.”

For Pope, the focus was to ensure athletes had the best possible experience. His idea of delaying the portal until after the NCAA Tournament seemed to resonate with many. It gives the players and coaches the chance to finish the season committed before diving into roster changes.

Pope has shown the ability to navigate the portal during his time at Kentucky, consistently reloading his roster.