Former Kentucky walk-on Brennan Canada announces return to school for 2023-24

On Thursday, one Wildcat guard became the first member of the 2022-23 Kentucky men’s basketball team to pledge to return in 2023-24 team. That man: former walk-on Brennan Canada. After being put on scholarship back in early January, he’s now decided to return to Lexington for one more year.

He announced the news on Instagram, including the following caption:

“I know I could have had other opportunities, but this is the only place I want to play college basketball. Let’s run it back one more year BBN!”

When Brennan Canada was put on scholarship back in January, it came after years of contributions as an outstanding teammate and placement on the Frank G. Ham Society of Character, which honors student athletes of extraordinary accomplishments in the classroom and outside of the sports realm. Head coach John Calipari had nothing but praise for him when announcing he was being put on scholarship earlier in the year.

“When you talk about what we look for in young people in this program, he embodies it all,” Coach Cal wrote in a tweet. “Unbelievable teammate and student and has brought so much to our teams in practice. I think it’s about time we put him on scholarship!! Thank you for what you do for us, Brennan!!”

A real nice story for the former Wildcat walk-on. Now, he’ll spurn the NBA Draft for at least another year, take a trip with the ‘Cats to his namesake for a little summer hoops action at Global Jam in Toronto and enjoy another few semesters of a free eduction. That’s what I call a heck of a way to spend your senior year of college. Hooping, traveling and learning for free. If only we were all so lucky.

Other decisions from Kentucky players

The only other player off the 2023-24 team to officially decide his plans for next year is Sahvir Wheeler. There’s really no other way to put it: the last 365 days were brutal for the Kentucky point guard.

First, Wheeler was one of the players under fire for the Saint Peter’s loss, but that was a burden on the whole team really. Then, to start this past season, Kentucky nose-dived and lost to every decent team it faced, with offensive issues centering around Wheeler. It all came to a head in January, when UK lost at home to a putrid South Carolina team, then had a players-only meeting that Wheeler reportedly (according to KSR’s Ryan Lemond) missed before the team came out and played its best ball of the year in a season-saving win over Tennessee that weekend.

From there, it was Wheeler to the bench and Cason Wallace starting at point guard. Wheeler came off the bench for a while, then was sidelined in early February with an ankle injury and never appeared in a game in a Kentucky uniform again. He even missed senior day with a bizarre “procedure” that popped up and mysteriously had to be done the day he was set to be honored in Rupp Arena.

It was just a strange situation and UK was better off with him on the bench, unfortunately. Now, he’ll try to find a new home — and some folks think the other, purpler Wildcats Kentucky just lost to could become his new home.