Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: TyTy gone, Oscar testing the waters

We’re halfway through the week and finally, there’s some movement concerning next year’s roster. Today, TyTy Washington declared for the NBA Draft and said he will hire an agent, ending his time as a Kentucky Wildcat. After winning the Wooden Award last night, Oscar Tshiebwe said he intends to explore the NBA process to gather feedback for his own decision. Finally, the entire Kentucky coaching staff reached out to Morehead State transfer Johni Broome, a potential addition should Oscar go pro.

To catch you up, 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.

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

UPDATED 4/6: 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.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: The expectation from the start has been that Washington would turn pro after one year at Kentucky. The former five-star recruit turned those expectations into reality by declaring for the draft and signing with an agent.

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 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 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.

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 4/6: Oscar says he’s still undecided about his future but will explore the NBA process to make sure he has all the information he needs to make his decision. Clearly, a senior season in Lexington appeals to him, but the decision depends on 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, Oscar’s team of agents and lawyers have found certain ways to allow him to profit off his likeness like the merchandise line he launched with Kentucky Branded. That’s a good start, but merely a fraction of what he could make, which could be more than a second-round contract. The work to get rid of all of the NIL restrictions continues, with Kyle Tucker recently reporting that optimism is high around UK’s camp that Oscar will return. Currently, he is projected to go No. 44 in ESPN’s latest NBA Mock Draft.

Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Tshiebwe testing the draft waters was expected, allowing him to receive feedback from teams while the folks back in Lexington work toward a solution regarding NIL. It’s a complicated process, one with various hurdles and setbacks along the way. Tshiebwe wants to return to Kentucky, but only in a risk-free scenario regarding his visa status. The clock is ticking for Kentucky to find a permanent solution prior to the June 1 withdrawal deadline for the draft.

If a solution is found, the strong expectation is that Tshiebwe comes back for his senior season and makes millions. If not, he’ll almost certainly go pro, where he’ll likely come off the board in the second round. The standout center prefers option one.

Coming In

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

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

Unknown

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.

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

UPDATED 4/6 – 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 will come down to a clear plan of attack for Hopkins’ role and development in Lexington, with roster outlook being a key factor.

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 4/6 – 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 privately remains hopeful Sharpe will ultimately decide to turn down the draft and play for Kentucky next season.

With such a small sample size of live game film, NBA teams are uncertain about Sharpe as a top-five pick, and potentially even top-ten. It’s an area of the draft jobs are kept and lost in the league, and Sharpe is a risk with no college experience — practice scrimmages don’t suffice. They know he can dominate in workouts, but can he be a day-one contributor in the NBA? Kentucky believes — or hopes — those questions will be what ultimately keeps him in Lexington next year, putting him in prime position to be a top pick in 2023.

It’s a battle of local vs. national confidence. Kentucky is cautiously optimistic, while national sources continue to be wildly pessimistic — many have been convinced Sharpe was gone the minute he enrolled early. Draft buzz is strong and continues to ramp up.

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: Toppin is expected to return in 2022-23, building on a solid junior season in Lexington.

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 4/6 – 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, another shakeup is possible.

Roster construction will create a domino effect. If shooting and ball security at the point guard position outweigh playmaking in Calipari’s vision of next year’s team, a parting of ways is on the table. Should the portal open up with a dominant shooting and scoring threat (or two) on the wing, Wheeler’s playmaking will be a priority.

Beyond the anticipated decisions of Sharpe and Tshiebwe, how Kentucky handles the point guard position is the most intriguing development of the offseason.

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.

Transfer Portal Options

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.

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

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

UPDATED 4/6: No reported new movement on Kentucky’s side with Pinson, but for what it’s worth he posted this on his Instagram story today.

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 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

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

UPDATED 4/6: Reeves will visit Nebraska this weekend, per HuskerOnline.com.

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

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.

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

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 quickly becomes 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.

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

UPDATED 4/6: Per multiple reports, Kentucky has now 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. If Oscar decides to go pro, you have to think that communication will pick up, especially considering the relationship between Calipari and MSU coach Preston Spradlin, who worked on Cal’s staff for five seasons at Kentucky.