Kentucky announces addition of two walk-ons to 2022-23 roster

Back on May 31, we found out that Walker Horn, the son of Northern Kentucky head coach Darrin Horn, will be joining Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster as a walk-on. He’s not the only one. Grant Darbyshire, a guard from Cincinnati, will also suit up for the Cats as a walk-on freshman this year. Kentucky just announced the additions in a press release featuring quotes from the players and John Calipari.

“Both Grant and Walker will be great additions to our team,” Calipari said. “They both come from terrific families, and they’ve been impactful both on the court and in the classroom. I love that they’ve both been around the game their entire lives because you have to love this, and I’m confident they’re ready to embrace all that goes with being a Kentucky basketball player.”

As mentioned, Horn is the son of Darrin Horn, a former standout at Tates Creek High School in Lexington. The younger Horn attended Covington Catholic for two seasons before finishing his high school career at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, where his father was an assistant for the Texas Longhorns from 2015 to 2019. A 6’3″ guard, Horn led Westlake to the state semifinals as a senior, averaging 9.3 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. He is an Academic All-District selection, graduated cum laude, and was a recipient of a Kentucky Provost Academic Scholarship.

“I have family roots in the state of Kentucky, so I understand the magnitude of Kentucky basketball,” Horn said. “Being a part of the program was a dream of mine and an opportunity I am incredibly excited to make the most of. It doesn’t get any better in college basketball, Coach Calipari and his program are the best in the country. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it and learn from the players and coaches every day.”

Darbyshire attended Sycamore High School in Cincinnati and also played for the Midwest Basketball Club, Reed Sheppard’s AAU squad. A 6’2″ guard, he served as captain for Sycamore, leading them to the Greater Miami Conference regular-season championship. He shot 43% from 3-point range as a junior and had 14 points and six boards against Middleton on Senior Night. Darbyshire also played soccer and baseball and was a summa cum laude graduate and a National Merit Scholar Commended.

“I wanted to go somewhere that would make me uncomfortable and help me grow as a person both on and off the court,” Darbyshire said. “Kentucky is the definition of development and culture. I wanted to go to a place where I could develop life-long friendships with teammates, while helping contribute to the greatest tradition in college basketball. I most look forward to the relationships I will develop with the guys and the camaraderie that comes with this program.”

Horn and Darbyshire join Brennan Canada and Kareem Watkins as walk-ons on Kentucky’s roster. Welcome aboard, boys.