The transfer portal has officially marked the deadline for players to enter the NCAA transfer portal if they intend to find a new school for the 2026–27 season. More than 2,500 players submitted their names before the cutoff, including several notable late additions such as Baylor’s Tounde Yessoufou. A few additional entries could still appear over the next couple of days as paperwork is finalized. While the entry window has closed, transfer commitments will continue to roll in over the coming weeks.
That timeline works in Kentucky’s favor, as head coach Mark Pope still has significant roster needs to address. Even after adding Zyon Hawthorne on the younger brother of returning Wildcat Braydon Hawthorne — Kentucky’s projected roster for 2026–27 sits at just nine players. The staff remains active in pursuing both impact starters and depth options through the portal, along with high school and international recruiting.
Those efforts continue with two portal visitors arriving in Lexington. James Madison junior forward Justin McBride and Southern California junior center Gabe Dynes are both scheduled to be on campus.
McBride, a 6-foot-7 frontcourt player, is coming off a breakout season at James Madison after previous stops at Oklahoma State and Nevada. He averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, while shooting 40 percent from three-point range on just over three attempts per game. After serving mostly as a reserve earlier in his career, McBride started 30 of 33 games for the Dukes last season. He is ranked No. 203 in the transfer portal by 247Sports. During his lone season at James Madison, he played for Preston Spradlin, a former Morehead State head coach who previously spent five years on Kentucky’s coaching staff.
Dynes, a Northern Kentucky native and former standout at Simon Kenton High School, brings rare size at 7-foot-5. He spent two seasons at Youngstown State before transferring to Southern Cal for his junior year. While with Youngstown State, Dynes earned Horizon League all-defensive honors twice and led the nation in blocked shots as a sophomore with 104 rejections during the 2024–25 season. At USC, his role was more limited, as he averaged 2.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.0 block per game. He is not ranked by 247Sports, but if he were to commit, he would become the tallest player in Kentucky basketball history.
Kentucky is also set to host Washington State junior guard Jerone Morton on Friday. Morton began his college career at Morehead State and was a standout local high school player at George Rogers Clark.
Meanwhile, one former Kentucky portal target is off the board. Utah junior guard Terrence Brown, who had been expected to visit Kentucky, postponed that trip due to a family matter and ultimately committed to North Carolina on Tuesday. Brown averaged 19.9 points and 3.8 assists per game this past season and is ranked No. 44 in the portal. He will now be part of Michael Malone’s first North Carolina roster. The Tar Heels have also secured a commitment from Virginia Tech freshman guard Neoklis Avdalas, another player who previously drew interest from Kentucky. Avdalas is ranked No. 21 in the portal after averaging 12.1 points and 4.6 assists per game last season.
As for former Kentucky players currently in college basketball, 13 ex-Wildcats entered the 2025–26 season still playing at other schools. Some, including Ugonna Onyenso and Kerr Kriisa, appear to have finished their college careers. Others, such as Jordan Burks at Central Florida and Zvonimir Ivisic at Illinois, are expected to remain with their current programs.
Four former Wildcats entered the transfer portal again this offseason. Two have already chosen new destinations. Travis Perry, who was part of Pope’s first Kentucky team in 2024–25, transferred from Ole Miss after averaging 5.3 points per game and committing to Dayton for the 2026–27 season. D.J. Wagner, Kentucky’s starting point guard during the 2023–24 season, is transferring from Arkansas to Maryland for his senior year after averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 assists last season.
Devin Askew and Aaron Bradshaw also entered the portal this week and have not yet committed. Askew, who began his college career at Kentucky during the 2020–21 season, is seeking the opportunity to play a seventh season after stops at Texas, California, Long Beach State, and Villanova. Bradshaw returned to the portal after averaging 8.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this past season at Memphis.