Kentucky Basketball 2022-23 Roster Tracker: Three New Names, One Old

There are no days off when it comes to roster building, and over the weekend, three new names popped up as potential additions to next year’s team. On Friday, Kentucky’s staff visited 2022 five-star small forward Leonard Miller. On Saturday, John Calipari offered rising guard Adou Thiero. Yesterday, we learned Kentucky has also reached out to another wing from Chicago, Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves. Let’s catch up on all of the developments as we wait for news to trickle out from the Joe Craft Center.

UPDATE (3/28, 6 PM): Illinois guard Andre Curbelo entered the transfer portal. Given his connection to Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman, we’ve added him to the list.

Important Dates/Deadlines

• April 24: NBA Early Entry Deadline
• May 1: Transfer Portal deadline (Date by which players must tell their school they’re leaving)
• May 16-22: NBA Draft Combine
• June 1: NCAA “Stay or Go” Deadline
• June 23: 2022 NBA Draft

Staying

Daimion Collins (F, Fr.) – On March 20, 247 Sports’ Travis Branham reported that Daimion Collins will return to Kentucky for a sophomore season. On his final radio show of the season, John Calipari said he believes Collins can be “one of the best players in the country” next year because “the things he does, normal players can’t do.”

• 2021-22 season: 2.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.7 BPG, 7.5 MPG

Leaving

Dontaie Allen (G, R So.) – Allen announced he was entering the transfer portal on March 24, ending his career at Kentucky. In two seasons, he averaged 3.9 points off 35.8% shooting and 1.4 rebounds in 10.5 minutes per game.

• 2021-22 season: 2.2 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 6.4 MPG
• 2020-21 season: 5.4 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 14.0 MPG

Davion Mintz (G, Gr.) – Mintz used his sixth year of eligibility to return to Kentucky for the 2021-22 season. From here, he will explore professional options.

• 2021-22 season: 8.5 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 24.7 MPG
• 2020-21 season: 11.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 30.7 MPG

Kellan Grady (G, Gr.) – Grady was a grad transfer this season and has no eligibility remaining. Kentucky’s third-leading score will now pursue his professional options.

• 2021-22 season: 11.4 PPG (44.6% FG, 41.7% 3PT FG) , 2.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 32.9 MPG

Coming In

Chris Livingston (SF, HS) – The five-star small forward committed to Kentucky on Sept. 15, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. Livingston plays for Oak Hill Academy, whose season will conclude at the 2022 GEICO Nationals in Florida (March 31-April 2). He is one of three finalists for the 2021-22 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award. He and Wallace will represent Kentucky at the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 29 and the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15.

• 2021-22 season (high school): 18.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.9 SPG

Cason Wallace (CG, HS) – The five-star combo guard from Dallas, TX committed to Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. His high school career at Richardson recently came to an unfortunate end in the Texas state championship quarterfinals, when Richardson fell to McKinney High School 54-52 on a game-winning bucket. He and Wallace will represent Kentucky at the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 29 and the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15.

• 2021-22 season (high school): 19.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.1 APG

UPDATE (3/28): Wallace is an early standout at the McDonald’s All-American Game festivities in Chicago. We’ll see him in action tomorrow night but go ahead and get to know him with this film breakdown by basketball expert Ant Wright.

Unknown

Keion Brooks (F, Jr.) – In his junior season, Brooks was Kentucky’s fourth-leading scorer and started 33 games. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future.

• 2021-22 season: 10.8 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 24.5 MPG
• 2020-21 season: 10.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 23.6 MPG
• 2019-20 season: 4.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 15.1 MPG

CJ Fredrick (SG, R. Jr.) – Fredrick underwent surgery to repair a left hamstring injury in November and spent the 2021-22 season rehabbing. By the end of the season, he was occasionally seen shooting threes during Kentucky’s warm-ups.

Bryce Hopkins (F, Fr.) – Hopkins played in 28 of Kentucky’s 34 games this season. His best performance came against LSU when he scored 13 points and pulled down 4 rebounds in 16 minutes to help the Cats beat the Tigers without TyTy Washington or Sahvir Wheeler. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future.

• 2021-22 season: 2.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 6.4 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Hopkins has been a rumored transfer since the start of the spring semester and the ongoing expectation has been that he will explore his options in the portal. A final decision could come sooner rather than later.

Shaedon Sharpe (SG, Fr.) – Sharpe enrolled at Kentucky in January. Prior to reclassifying, he was the No. 1 recruit in the 2022 class. When he arrived in Lexington, Sharpe said his plan was to practice with the team this season and play next season. In February, John Calipari ended speculation that Sharpe would play in 2021-22 but doubled down on him being on next year’s squad. On his final radio show of the season, Calipari said he sat down with Sharpe and his family and they decided it would be in his best interest to test the NBA Draft waters to receive feedback, but there has been no official announcement. He is currently No. 6 in ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft.

Jacob Toppin (F, Jr.) – Toppin was Kentucky’s seventh man this season, appearing in all but five games. He transferred to Kentucky from Rhode Island in 2020 and received a waiver to play immediately. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future.

• 2021-22 season: 6.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 17.7 MPG
• 2020-21 season: 5.2 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 17.1 MPG

Oscar Tshiebwe (C, Jr.) – Oscar is the frontrunner for National Player of the Year and had a record-setting season in Lexington. He led Kentucky in scoring (17.4), rebounding (15.1), steals (1.8), and blocks (1.6). Oscar is currently projected to be a mid-second-round pick in the NBA Draft by ESPN. His decision is complicated. If he returns to Kentucky and his NIL situation is resolved (he’s currently on a student visa and therefore can’t “work”), he could make more money than he might if he was drafted in the second round; however, that’s a big if given his current situation.

• 2021-22 season: 17.4 PPG, 15.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 31.9 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Tshiebwe’s decision will come down to NIL. If federal legislation is passed or a clear loophole is found — one all parties involved are comfortable signing off on — that will allow him to make money with zero restrictions, the expectation is that he strongly considers a return to Kentucky. If not, he will almost certainly go pro. It’s a complicated decision, one out of the standout center’s hands at this point in time.

Lance Ware (F, So.) – In his second season at Kentucky, Ware took a backseat to Oscar Tshiebwe in the frontcourt but flourished as the Cats’ enforcer. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future.

• 2021-22 season: 1.5 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 6.3 MPG
• 2020-21 season: 2.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 12.1 MPG

TyTy Washington (G, Fr.) – TyTy Washington shined in his freshman season in Lexington, even breaking John Wall’s single-season record with 17 assists, but was hampered by a leg injury throughout the second half of the year. Currently, he is projected to go 14th in the NBA Draft by ESPN, but Jonathan Givony notes that his stock is falling after an underwhelming postseason. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future, but over the weekend, shared then deleted a picture atop his Porsche outside the lodge on his Instagram story with the caption, “Off to the league.”

• 2021-22 season: 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 29.2 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: The expectation from the start has been that Washington is a one-and-done. Injuries and inconsistent shooting hurt his draft stock a bit, but he’s still seen as a consensus first-round prospect. NIL has been good to the freshman guard, but it’s not expected to keep him in school. Washington is expected to test the draft waters and ultimately go pro.

Sahvir Wheeler (PG, Jr.) – After transferring in from Georgia, Wheeler became Kentucky’s primary point guard, ranking third in the country in assists (6.9). Like Washington, he missed time due to injuries, initially to his neck vs. LSU and later his wrist at Tennessee. He has yet to announce any plans regarding his future.

• 2021-22 season: 10.1 PPG, 6.9 APG, 2.6 RPG, 31.2 MPG

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Before NIL, Wheeler had one-year dreams in Lexington, looking to play his way into draft status or at the very least build his brand as a potential pro in one season. With NIL, the door has opened for a second year at Kentucky — depending on John Calipari’s vision for the 2022-23 roster, of course. The UK head coach hit reset on the team after a historically poor 2020-21 campaign, and after suffering a brutal opening-round loss to Saint Peter’s in the NCAA Tournament, he could decide to shake things up again this offseason. If shooting and ball security outweigh playmaking in Calipari’s vision of next year’s team, a parting of ways could be on the table.

High School Recruits

Adou Thiero (G) – OFFERED – Kentucky hasn’t closed the door on the 2022 class either, it seems. On Saturday, Calipari extended a scholarship offer to 6’5″ guard Adou Thiero, one of the fastest-rising prospects in his class. Thiero’s father Almamy played for Calipari at Memphis. Calipari went to watch Thiero play in the Pennsylvania Class 4A title game on Thursday, where the standout guard finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks for Quaker Valley.

After a great home visit by @UKCoachCalipari I am blessed to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky.
@QVBasketball @prospectsbball pic.twitter.com/5SC9FZAOy3

— Adou Thiero (@Adou_Thiero) March 26, 2022

Thiero also holds offers from Maryland, Duquesne, and UC Santa Barbara and has garnered interest from Cincinnati, Indiana, Marquette, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, and West Virginia, among others.

• 2021-22 Season: 23.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, 3.9 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Leonard Miller (F) – On Friday, members of Kentucky’s staff visited Miller, a 6’10” power forward from Ontario, Canada, who plays for Fort Erie International Academy.

A number of schools attended @FortErieMBB to check out Leonard Miller including @KentuckyMBB

Last time anyone has seen @UKCoachCalipari in a 🇨🇦 gym recruiting a kid was Jamal Murray. Things heating up, stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/XqP4tVMRGN

— Efe Ashakah (@Eshakah) March 26, 2022

Miller is considered a five-star recruit and the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2022 class by On3 and his stock is on the rise following a six-inch growth spurt. Kansas, TCU, Providence, Washington State, and Alabama have all been recruiting him, with Kentucky and Auburn making contact on Friday. He will host DePaul and Pitt today and is also considering the pro route.

Transfer Portal Options

Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley (C, Gr.) – The WAC Player of the Year entered the transfer portal on March 18. According to 247 Sports’ Travis Branham, Kentucky is among the many programs that have already expressed interest. The 6’11” 245 lbs. center averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds per game and ranked second in the country in double-doubles behind Oscar Tshiebwe this season. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

• 2021-22 season: 18.9 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 BPG

Trevon Brazile, Missouri (SF, Fr.) – Brazile had a promising freshman season at Missouri, averaging 12.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game over the Tigers’ last five games. He entered the transfer portal on March 22 and has already heard from Kentucky, according to Blake Smith of Recruits Zone.

• 2021-22 season: 6.6 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.9 BPG, 21.5 MPG

Xavier Pinson, LSU (G, Sr.) – On March 24, Pinson entered the transfer portal and by that night, had already heard from Kentucky, Michigan State, Xavier, and Arizona State, according to Mac Irvin Fire, which was once coached by current Kentucky assistant Chin Coleman. Despite transferring a year ago from Missouri to LSU, Pinson is expected to be granted another immediate eligibility waiver due to the recent firing of LSU head coach Will Wade. He will have one year of eligibility remaining. At LSU, he faced Kentucky twice, dropping 11 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in a win before posting 26 points and eight rebounds on 12-13 shooting from the free-throw line in a loss. Additionally, he went 1-2 against Kentucky during his time with Mizzou.

• 2021-22 season: 9.8 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.4 RPG, 28.1 MPG

Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech (G, Jr.) – Shannon reportedly entered the transfer portal on March 25, the day after his team’s loss to Duke in the Sweet 16. So far, he has heard from Kentucky, UConn, Illinois, and Michigan. Like Pinson, he’s a Chicago native and also played for Mac Irvin Fire, which was once coached by current Kentucky assistant Chin Coleman. Kentucky and Illinois are considered the favorites but he’s also not ruling out a return to Texas Tech, he told Jon Rothstein.

• 2021-22 season: 10.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 25.0 MPG

UPDATE (3/28): Ant Wright broke down Shannon’s game over the weekend:

Antonio Reeves, Illinois State (SG/SF, Jr.) – Kentucky has reportedly reached out to another wing from Chicago, Illinois State’s Antonio Reeves. Reeves entered the transfer portal on March 21 after a stellar junior season with the Redbirds. He led Illinois State in scoring at 20.1 points per game, the most in the Missouri Valley Conference and top 20 in all of Division I. Reeves has also heard from Duke, Texas Tech, Memphis, Alabama, North Carolina, Ohio State, Illinois, and Missouri, among others.

• 2021-22 Season: 20.1 PPG (46.9% FG, 39.0% 3PT FG), 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG

Andre Curbelo, Illinois (G, Soph.) – Curbelo entered the transfer portal on March 28. Orlando Antigua was his primary recruiter at Illinois. He had a rocky sophomore season in Champaign, missing almost two months with a concussion and shooting only 32.9%, 16.9% from three, but he was a four-star, top-50 prospect coming out of high school. There is no word Kentucky has reached out yet, but given his connection to Antigua and Coleman, we’ll put him on the list for now.

• 2021-22 Season: 7.5 PPG (32.9% FG, 16.9% 3PT FG), 3.1 RPG, 3.2 APG