'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Given the departure of John Calipari and forthcoming coaching hire, Kentucky will be a must-watch transfer portal spot in 2024. But even if Calipari was still in Lexington, given the amount of top talent there, players were still probably leaving.
At the moment, three Wildcats have entered the transfer portal. Two of the three also entered their names in the NBA Draft.
Here's the story on Kentucky's transfer portal entrants:
Kentucky Men's basketball transfer portal tracker 2024
Aaron Bradshaw
The 7-foot-1 Bradshaw was ranked by 247sports.com as the No. 5 overall player in the 2023 recruiting class and the top center. He suffered a foot injury in the summer, which kept him out of preseason action and the first seven games of the regular season.
Bradshaw finally debuted on December 2nd. In 26 games, he averaged 4.9 points per game and 3.3 rebounds per game. He flashed moments of potential, like 17 points and 11 boards against Penn in his second UK game.
On the other hand, in Kentucky's final four games of the season, Bradshaw scored a total of 6 points in a total of 16 minutes played. Fellow 7-footers Ugonna Onyenso and Zvonimir Ivisic saw more time in the last few games.
Bradshaw is one of the players who have entered the NBA draft as well as the portal. Given his size and high recruiting ranking, he could be a reach for an NBA team but did little to help himself in the 2023-24 season.
Adou Thiero
6-foot-8 Theiro has completed two seasons at Kentucky. A late addition to the 2022 recruiting class, Theiro was a four-star recruit, who was a physical late bloomer.
In his freshman season, Theiro averaged 9.7 minutes of playing time in 20 games. He scored 2.3 points per game, but impressed with his work ethic and play near the rim.
Thiero often played a stretch forward role for Kentucky in 2023-24, starting 19 games and scoring 7.2 points per game. He played particularly well early in the season, but missed over a month of time in late December and January following a back injury.
Thiero's highlights included a 16 point, 13 rebound effort in the season's second game against Kansas. In February, Thiero had four double-figure scoring games in a six-game stretch, including 15 points against Gonzaga, 14 against Auburn, and 12 against Alabama.
Thiero's athleticism and continued growth might make him an NBA prospect, but he's more likely to attend college next season.
Joey Hart
Freshman Joey Hart has also placed his name in the portal. Hart was a late addition to Kentucky's roster a season ago. The three-star recruit from Linton, Indiana, was viewed as a long-term project as a shooting guard.
Not much in Hart's season at UK changed that projection. He played only 10 minutes all season, making a 3-point shot against Marshall in December for his only points. Hart played in just seven games, last playing on February 6th.
Hart seems likely to transfer to a mid-major or possibly even lower-division school. His season in Lexington was a chance to be around the excitement of big-time basketball. He'll probably seek more playing time at his next stop.
