Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Latest on Oscar, Sharpe, Wheeler

There were no announcements regarding Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster this past weekend but the chatter is getting louder regarding some pivotal players. We are just under two weeks away from the deadline for early entrants to declare for the draft — even if they’re just testing the waters — and 20 days from the deadline for players to notify their school they’re entering the transfer portal.

Here’s where we stand with Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster, and the latest that Jack Pilgrim is hearing behind the scenes. ** New information will be marked with the date in red. **

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

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. On April 6, TyTy announced he is declaring for the NBA Draft and signing with an agent, ending his time as a Kentucky Wildcat. He is currently projected to go No. 14 in ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft.

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

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

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. On April 7, Hopkins announced he is entering the transfer portal, ending his time in Lexington.

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

Testing The Waters

Keion Brooks (F, Jr.) – In his junior season, Brooks was Kentucky’s fourth-leading scorer and started 33 games. Brooks announced on March 28 that he would be testing the draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility.

• 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

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Brooks weighed a potential transfer last offseason before ultimately deciding to return to Kentucky. A potential break-up is again on the table this offseason should he decide to pull his name out of the draft, paving way for a fresh start for both sides.

Oscar Tshiebwe (C, Jr.) – Oscar won all six National Player of the Year awards, making him the first unanimous POY in Kentucky Basketball history. He led Kentucky in scoring (17.4), rebounding (15.1), steals (1.8), and blocks (1.6).

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

UPDATED 4/11: On Sunday, Oscar told LEX18 that he is a week or two away from announcing his decision. As you know by now, Oscar’s decision comes down to his name, image, and likeness (NIL) situation. Because he has a student visa, he is not allowed to “work,” meaning he can’t do commercials, photoshoots, paid public appearances, autograph tours, etc. However, he is allowed to profit off his likeness, and on April 8, released a new line of merchandise with Kentucky Branded. That was the first of several promising signs we’ve seen over the past few days.

On today’s episode of KSR, Matt Jones said he feels “very, very good” about Oscar returning, hinting at a few big NIL deals in the works. Barring a first-round guarantee, Jones believes Oscar will be back at Kentucky next season, setting the likelihood at 95%.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: A new wave of optimism within the program regarding Tshiebwe’s potential return to Lexington began spreading late last week, with Kentucky now believing the most significant hurdles regarding NIL have been cleared. UK is maintaining contact with potential transfer targets while Tshiebwe goes through the draft process, but holding off on making any serious push while they inch toward a resolution with the star center. The expectation is that adding a starting-caliber center from the portal will not be necessary.

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Expected to Return

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.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Fredrick is expected to return to Kentucky in 2022-23. He is on track to be back at full strength when the team returns to campus this summer.

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

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: An intriguing prospect with phenomenal upside, the school expects Toppin to return in 2022-23, building on a solid junior season in Lexington.

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Unknown

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.

UPDATED 4/11 – Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Sharpe and his camp have been publicly adamant about returning to Kentucky in 2022-23 from the start. John Calipari has publicly expressed similar optimism regarding the prized signee’s return after a redshirt season in Lexington. Despite clear and strong skepticism in national basketball circles, the school had remained hopeful — if not cautiously optimistic — Sharpe would ultimately decide to turn down the draft and play for Kentucky next season.

As of last week, Sharpe hadn’t formally begun the draft paperwork process and he hasn’t made it clear he’s leaving, but internal confidence has taken a hit. There were questions regarding his draft stock and still some speculation about his eligibility, keeping the door open for a return. That door remains cracked ever-so-slightly — “never say never,” as one source inside the program put it — but contingency plans are being worked on. Kentucky is exploring its portal options on the wing in the growing chance Sharpe leaves for the draft.

If Sharpe and his camp don’t like what they hear during the pre-draft process — a grade outside the top 10, specifically — a return is on the table. But the growing expectation is that — despite a limited sample size of live game film — a team will ultimately be willing to swing for the fences on Sharpe’s star potential in the early picks of the draft, leading to his departure.

Draft buzz is strong and continues to ramp up.

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

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Barring an influx of frontcourt talent via the transfer portal, Ware is expected to return to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season.

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

UPDATED 4/11 – 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. He 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, another shakeup is possible.

The current expectation within the program is that Wheeler returns to Kentucky as things are currently constructed. Should a must-have portal option emerge at point guard — specifically in terms of shooting and ball security — the sense is that Calipari would take advantage of that opportunity and let the rotation work itself out. Going hand-in-hand with Sharpe’s situation, the staff is also keeping an eye out for elite shooting and scoring talent on the wing. UK still greatly values Wheeler’s playmaking abilities, and if a clear threat (or two) becomes available to complement that playmaking, that’s something the program will explore.

It comes down to role for Wheeler. Would he be comfortable coming off the bench if a better complementary starting piece emerged? That’s certainly a conversation worth having a bit further down the road.

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High School Signees

Chris Livingston (SF, Oak Hill Academy) – The five-star small forward committed to Kentucky on Sept. 15, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. At the McDonald’s All-American Game, Livingston scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting and 2-4 from three to go with six rebounds, five assists, and one block (you can read our scouting report here). He and Wallace will also represent Kentucky at the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15.

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

Cason Wallace (CG, Richardson HS) – The five-star combo guard from Dallas, TX committed to Kentucky on Nov. 10, 2021, and signed on Nov. 11. In the McDonald’s All-American Game, he scored seven points on 3-10 shooting and 1-2 from three to go with six assists, five rebounds, and one steal (you can read our scouting report here). He and Livingston will also represent Kentucky at the Jordan Brand Classic on April 15.

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

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High School Recruits

Adou Thiero (G) – On March 26, Calipari publicly extended a scholarship offer to 6’5″ guard Adou Thiero, whose father, Almamy, played for Calipari at Memphis. Thiero also holds offers from Cincinnati, Maryland, Pitt, Duquesne, and UC Santa Barbara and has garnered interest from Indiana, Marquette, Ohio State, and West Virginia, among others.

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

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Thiero’s announcement of a Kentucky offer opened the floodgates for other high-major offers and interest, most notably scholarships from Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. Calipari’s connection with Thiero’s father, Almamy, is clear, but the expectation is that the unranked guard signs somewhere he can be an immediate contributor.

Leonard Miller (F) – On March 25, members of Kentucky’s staff visited Miller, a 6’10” power forward from Ontario, Canada, who plays for Fort Erie International Academy. 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. On March 30, he included Kentucky in his top ten, which consists of eight schools (Kentucky, Oklahoma State, Gonzaga, Auburn, Alabama, Kansas, TCU, and Providence) and two pro routes (G League Ignite and Overtime Elite). Kentucky and Gonzaga have yet to extend an offer.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Miller is seriously considering his professional options, with Kentucky looming as an outside threat should he opt for the college route. John Calipari and Chin Coleman took a trip to Fort Erie on March 25 to see the five-star prospect in person. Alabama is also seen as a contender, with another list cut expected in the near future.

Adrame Diongue (C) – In March, the 7-foot center out of Chandler, Arizona, and a native of Senegal narrowed his list to Kentucky, Kansas, UNLV, Washington State, and Texas Tech. At the GEICO Nationals, he told On3 that he’s working with Kentucky’s staff to set up a visit. He is ranked No. 36 overall and No. 6 at his position in the 2022 On3 Player Rankings.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Brand new to the sport, Diongue is looking for a school that will develop his game over time. The Kentucky connections are also there, as he’s a former teammate of TyTy Washington at AZ Compass Prep. He’s an intriguing multi-year prospect if he’s comfortable waiting his turn.

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Transfer Portal Targets

UPDATED 4/11: A few portal notes from the weekend. LSU guard Xavier Pinson told On3 he’s down to Xavier and Mississippi State, so we’re taking him off the list. Yesterday, Jon Rothstein also reported that Louisiana Tech transfer Kenneth Lofton Jr. is hearing from Kentucky, so he joins the big board.

BACKCOURT

Courtney Ramey, Texas (G, Sr.) – Ramey declared for the draft and entered the transfer portal on March 31 after four seasons at Texas. Ramey was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and considered one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. He is a former four-star prospect and actually committed to play for Louisville under Rick Pitino before flipping to Texas.

Ramey’s father told Jon Rothstein that Kentucky, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Marquette, Murray State, TCU, Villanova, and Wisconsin are among the 17 programs that have reached out to him since he entered the portal.

The 6-foot-3 guard has also been a solid 3-point shooter over the course of his four-year career, knocking down 36.5% of his shots from deep on 4.2 attempts per game. He converted on 41.4% of his 3-pointers on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game in 2020-21.

• 2021-22 season: 9.4 PPG (39.7% FG, 35% 3PT), 3.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 30.1 MPG
• Highlights

Femi Odukale, Pitt (G, Soph.) – Odukale entered the transfer portal on April 1. The 6’5″ Brooklyn native averaged 10.8 points in 32.4 minutes per game for Pittsburgh this season as the Panthers went 11-21 overall and 6-14 in ACC action. According to Adam Zagoria, Kentucky has reached out, along with Wake Forest.

• 2021-22 season: 10.8 PPG (39.1% FG, 33% 3PT), 3.5 RPG, 3.4 APG, 32.4 MPG
• Highlights

Adam Miller, LSU (PG, Soph.) – Miller entered the transfer portal on March 29. The 6’2″ point guard transferred to LSU from Illinois last year but should receive a waiver due to Will Wade’s firing. Last summer, there was buzz Miller could follow Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman to Kentucky, but he went with the Tigers instead, and unfortunately, tore his ACL in the preseason. As Kentucky looks to rebuild its backcourt, he could be an option once again.

• 2020-21 season (Illinois): 8.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 APG
• Highlights

Nijel Pack, Kansas State (PG, Soph.) – Pack entered the portal on March 31. The First Team All-Big 12 selection averaged 17.4 points per game this past season for Kansas State while shooting 43.6% from three. Kentucky has not yet reached out, with Duke, Gonzaga, Arizona, Purdue, Xavier, Tennessee, Miami, Ohio State, NC State, and Marquette reportedly expressing interest. He visited Purdue on April 7.

• 2021-22 season: 17.4 PPG (45.5% FG, 43.6% 3PT FG), 3.8 RPG, 2.2 APG
• Highlights

WING

Terrence Shannon Jr., Texas Tech (G, Jr.) – Shannon 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, Illinois and Michigan are considered the favorites.

Shannon is known as arguably the best perimeter defender in the portal and shot 38.4% from three as a junior. He’s considered one of the top available players on the transfer market.

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

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. He visited Nebraska this past weekend.

Standing 6-6 and knocking down 39% of his 3-point attempts, Reeves scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games this season, including 18 20-point performances. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

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

Norchad Omier, Arkansas State (F, Covid Fr.) – Omier, a native of Nicaragua, entered the portal on March 30 after two seasons at Arkansas State. He won Sun Belt Player of the Year and Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for the Lou Henson Award this season. Last week, KSR heard the 6’7″, 232 lbs. forward is the current leader to replace Bryce Hopkins on Kentucky’s roster. The staff recently met with him on Zoom.

He’s undersized for a traditional center at 6’7″ and doesn’t have the shot-making ability to be a stretch four — he’s made just one 3-pointer in two years at Arkansas State — but dominated his level of competition. Omier is strong and polished in the paint while also being a high-level defender on the other end.

• 2021-22 season: 17.9 PPG (63.2% FG), 12.2 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.6 SPG, 26.7 MPG
• Highlights

FRONTCOURT (Oscar Insurance)

It looks like Oscar Tshiebwe will return to Kentucky for another season; however, if he decides to go pro, here are the guys that could replace him.

Fardaws Aimaq, Utah Valley (C, Gr.) – The WAC Player of the Year entered the transfer portal on March 18. Kentucky has reportedly shown interest and according to Jeff Borzello, Kentucky is one of nine schools he’s been focusing on along with Gonzaga, Texas Tech, Washington, Houston, Arkansas, Iowa, Arizona, and Texas. 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.

Aimaq is capable of stepping out and hitting the occasional three — he shot 43.5% from deep on 1.4 attempts per game — but he’s a traditional five at this level. He moves well and is comfortable putting the ball on the floor on drives to the basket, but his best play comes working in the post. He’s polished in the paint with soft touch around the rim.

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

Johni Broome, Morehead State (PF, Frosh.) – Broome announced he would be testing the NBA Draft waters on March 31 before putting his name in the transfer portal on April 4. The OVC Defensive Player of the Year is arguably the top frontcourt player in the portal, a prolific shot-blocker who broke MSU’s single-season block record and led the conference in rebounding. Last week, Kentucky reached out to Broome, who is also hearing from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Cincinnati, Indiana, Florida, Georgia, Gonzaga, LSU, NC State, Ohio State, Texas, Texas Tech, and West Virginia amongst others. Broome’s coach at Morehead State, Preston Spradlin, worked on Cal’s staff for five seasons at Kentucky.

• 2021-22 season: 16.8 PPG (55.5% FG, 63.6% FT), 10.5 RPG, 3.9 BPG, 1.2 APG
• Highlights

Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech (F) – The 6’7″ 275 lbs. forward from Port Arthur, Texas entered the transfer portal on April 8. On April 10, Jon Rothstein reported that Kentucky is among the schools showing interest, along with Houston, Texas, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Tulsa, Memphis, Southern California, UC Santa Barbara, Kansas State, Gonzaga, and Ole Miss. He is also testing the NBA Draft waters and has not ruled out a return to Louisiana Tech. As a sophomore in the 2021-22 season, Lofton was tabbed to the All-Conference USA First-Team and the Karl Malone Award Watch List. 

• 2021-22 season: 16.5 PPG (53.9% FG), 10.5 RPG, 2.8 APG
• Highlights