Kentucky players share immediate updates on their futures in Lexington

There isn’t a ton of value in asking players about their future plans immediately following season-ending losses in the NCAA Tournament — usually because they never know with certainty quite yet. Remember when Michael Kidd-Gilchrist said he was not only going to return, but stay all four years and graduate from the University of Kentucky just months before he was selected No. 2 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft? Until conversations happen with the coaching staff, agents and family, they’re just heat-of-the-moment quotes with little thought or long-term impact.

But you have to ask, just in case. What if a kid announces right then and there he’s entering the portal? What if they make it clear there is no coach in America but Mark Pope they’d rather play for, shutting down any potential transfer buzz before it can even start? Cooper Flagg talking about wanting to return to Duke sure got a lot of run when he said it back in February, more of a recruiting pitch for the Blue Devils than a legitimate expectation the future No. 1 pick would even sniff a return scenario.

No matter the case, the questions were asked and answers were given. The responses? About what you’d expect.

First up, Otega Oweh — the most important piece going into 2025-26, his final season of eligibility as a potential superstar anchor for the Wildcats. Has he even thought about the next steps of his career, whether that would be in the draft or a return to Lexington?

“Mm-mm,” he said with a head shake, adding, “I haven’t thought about none of that.”

Then you have Brandon Garrison, who has two years of eligibility remaining as a soon-to-be junior. Kentucky made the decision to take his commitment last portal cycle over the likes of Great Osobor and other one-and-done seniors hoping for some extra time with the skilled forward in blue and white.

Will they get it, his options likely limited to another trip to the portal and a return? Again, those conversations have not yet begun.

“I’m gonna talk to Coach Pope and the staff and see what’s next for me, my family and my agent and stuff,” he said.

Then you get to the freshmen, all seeing expanded roles in their first seasons at Kentucky due to injury.

For Collin Chandler, what’s next hasn’t even crossed his mind. He knows those conversations happen and every player has to decide essentially every year now what their future holds in the current landscape of college basketball, but his only focus has been on this team and this season.

No hints on what his next steps are.

“Yeah, I haven’t thought about that whatsoever,” Chandler said. “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.”

What he did say, however, is that he couldn’t be more confident he made the right choice in suiting up for the Wildcats this go-round.

“It’s a game of trust and I’ve known for a long time that I trusted Coach Pope and what he’s doing, his feel for the game. I trusted him,” he continued. “When I committed, I didn’t know who was going to be here, but I felt in my heart that it was the right decision and this was where I needed to be. I still feel that way at the end of the season, I feel ike this is where I needed to be. I needed to be in this place to learn the things that I did.”

Certainly doesn’t sound like a kid on his way out.

Another who doesn’t? Travis Perry, who gave the most concrete answer out of anyone regarding his future in Lexington.

Does he plan to return for his sophomore campaign?

“Yeah, certainly,” Perry said. “Certainly.”

To round out the group, Trent Noah didn’t make a clear statement on which direction he was leaning — or if he had a decision to make at all. He did, however, talk about how special it is to play for Pope at Kentucky while adding things are only going to get better under his leadership.

“It’s definitely in great hands. We won’t be slowing down anytime soon with a great person at the head,” Noah said. “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.”

So far, so good. We’ll see if anything changes in the coming days and weeks, but until then, we’ll get excited for what is certain to be an exciting 2025-26 campaign.