Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance join the party

This time a week ago, the restlessness was hitting its peak as Kentucky fans desperately and impatiently waited for any news to make them feel better about the 2025-26 season. It was a little dramatic, if we’re being honest, but you have to appreciate the passion — there is a reason Big Blue Nation is second to none.

Since then, though, the Wildcats managed to add three commitments in a span of just four days, starting with Pittsburgh transfer Jaland Lowe, followed by Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate and Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance. You got your starting point guard, followed by a tough, gritty forward who makes winning plays, then a future lottery pick with a limitless ceiling. They will team up with Tulane transfer Kam Williams, who was the first off the board for Mark Pope, hours before the team’s Sweet 16 matchup in the NCAA Tournament. That brings the total to four offseason additions alongside incoming freshmen Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno and Acaden Lewis — seven new pieces to work with in Lexington.

What about the five players with additional eligibility in Otega Oweh, Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry? No public announcements for any of them quite yet, because those are apparently necessary nowadays in the portal era where it’s essentially an endless cycle of one-year contracts, every player making some type of decision each offseason. Anything new with the returning pieces? Some transfer speculation is growing with Garrison following Quaintance’s addition, but until it comes from the horse’s mouth, probably best to leave it alone as things work themselves out behind the scenes.

As for the things you can control, interest in a shot-making wing is certainly one of them. Among those hearing from Kentucky? Wesley Yates (USC), Lamar Wilkerson (Sam Houston State) and Jaron Pierre Jr. (Jacksonville State) — while Robert Morris’ Alvaro Folgueiras is a knockdown shooter in the frontcourt, just in case there are any legs to those portal rumors with Garrison. Point being, the options are endless and growing for Pope to put a bow on this 2025-26 roster — one that appears to be a legitimate contender.

KSR is tracking the latest on additions and departures as we dig into Pope’s first full offseason cycle as head coach.

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GRADUATED: Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, Andrew Carr, Ansley Almonor, Amari Williams

PORTAL DEPARTURES: Kerr Kriisa

REMAINING ELIGIBILITY: Otega Oweh, Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, Travis Perry

HS SIGNEES: Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno, Acaden Lewis

PORTAL ADDITIONS: Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mo Dioubate, Jayden Quaintance

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IMPORTANT DATES

• April 22: Transfer Portal Closes
• April 26: NBA Early Entry Eligibility Deadline (11:59 p.m. ET)
• May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
• May 11-18: NBA Combine
• May 28: NCAA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline (11:59 pm ET)
• June 15: NBA Draft Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline (5 p.m. ET)
• June 25: NBA Draft 2025 First Round
• June 26: NBA Draft 2025 Second Round

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UPDATES

April 8: Arizona State transfer Jayden Quaintance commits to Kentucky

• Averaged 9.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.6 BPG on 52.5 FG% in ’24-25
• Coming off a torn ACL, surgery on March 19
• Committed to Kentucky over Auburn, USC, Kansas and Ohio State, among others.
• “I look forward to having a real chance to win it next year. I feel like that’s going to be another really big part of going to Kentucky. So, we have a real shot to win the national championship,” he told KSR.

April 7: Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate commits to Kentucky

• Averaged 7.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.1 APG on 61.7% FG and 46.2% 3PT in ’24-25
• Committed to Kentucky over the likes of Louisville, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, NC State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Providence, Vanderbilt and Villanova, among others.

April 6: Kentucky transfer Kerr Kriisa commits to Cincinnati

• “I’m pretty sure it’s my last year of eligibility (for real this time). Excited to be a Bearcat!!” Kriisa posted on social media.
• Kriisa averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 assists per contest in his lone season at Kentucky.

April 5: Pittsburgh transfer Jaland Lowe commits to Kentucky

• Averaged 16.8 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.2 RPG, 1.8 SPG on 37.6% FG and 26.6% 3PT in ’24-25
• Selected to the All-ACC Third Team as a breakout star in the conference

March 31: Mark Pope comments on Travis Perry, Trent Noah

During his final call-in radio show of the season, Pope shared brief updates on Kentucky’s in-state freshmen and their futures in blue and white — a sign both will be back for their sophomore seasons.

• “Travis Perry is really special, man. What an unbelievable young man. He is going to carry this Kentucky banner,” he said. “He’s pretty extraordinary.”
• “Trent and I met for a long time (Sunday). Man, he’s just special. He is special,” Pope said of Noah.
  “… That’s an incredible transformation as a freshman at this level, playing against the teams he played against with the players he played against, with the stakes so high. I expect him to continue to get better and better. … He’s going to be a tremendous player.”

March 31: Kerr Kriisa enters the transfer portal

• “To Coach Pope and the UK coaching staff — it has been an absolute dream to play for the University of Kentucky. Thank you for your continued support,” Kriisa wrote on social media. “I will always cherish my time in the Blue Grass State, and I wish Kentucky Basketball all the best in the future.”
• The 6-3 guard averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 assists in 17.4 minutes per contest in nine games as a Wildcat
• Kriisa underwent season-ending foot surgery following Kentucky’s win over Gonzaga on Dec. 7
• He will apply for a medical redshirt, giving him a sixth and final season of eligibility

March 28: Kentucky players with remaining eligibility discuss future plans

Immediately after the team’s loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16, the Wildcats with remaining eligibility shared their first updates on their respective futures at Kentucky.

• Otega Oweh: “I haven’t thought about none of that.”
• Brandon Garrison: “I’m gonna talk to Coach Pope and the staff and see what’s next for me, my family and my agent and stuff.”
• Collin Chandler: “Yeah, I haven’t thought about that whatsoever. I know it’s probably chaos out there right now, but we’ve been focused on what we’re doing and being present with this group, focusing on the goal that we’ve had.”
• Travis Perry: “Yeah, certainly (I’m planning to return). Certainly.”
• Trent Noah: “I love playing for Coach Pope, he’s such an incredible person, as well. That’s what makes this so special, the bond that we have. He’s a great basketball coach, but you can put that part aside because he’s a great human being. He’s someone you want to play for.”

March 28: Tulane transfer Kam Williams commits to Kentucky

• Picked Kentucky over Florida, Louisville, Baylor, Texas, LSU, Texas Tech, Arkansas and USC
• “With opportunities like that, regardless of whether I’ve seen it or not, that caliber of school is something you can’t pass on. It was really the culture, the play style, and the background they have. They’ve sent multiple players to the NBA, and my goal is to make the NBA. It was really a no-brainer,” he told Jacob Polacheck of KSR+.
• Averaged 9.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.3 APG on 48.5% FG and 41.2% 3PT in ’24-25