BTI's Rants and Ramblings: Transfers at Kentucky

With the possibility of Mike Rosario headed to Lexington, I figure its time to look at some of the past transfers to come to UK, some with good results and some with not so good (those in bold came from a Division-1 school):

2009
Darnell Dodson (Miami-Dade Junior College)
Stats (1 season): 35 games, 5.9 ppg, 36.5% FG, 34.7% 3FG
Impact: In Dodson’s first year at UK, he was supposed to be the “shooter” that the Cats lacked on the roster, but Dodson never found a consistent stroke. His minutes varied throughout the season, and he ended on a particularly sour note with a 2-9 performance against West Virginia. Dodson has been rumored to be transferring this off-season.

2008
Matt Pilgrim (Hampton College)
Impact: Sat out a season and then transferred to Oklahoma St. after Billy Gillispie was fired.  Reports are that he was more beast than beauty. 

Josh Harrelson (SW Illinois Junior College)
Stats (2 seasons): 56 games, 2.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 45% FG
Impact: Harrelson saw his minutes decline greatly with an improved roster in 2009. In his first year at UK, Harrelson was seen as a big body with some outside game, including 6 games with over 10 points, including a 15-point performance against Indiana. Despite having some of the rockinest jean shorts on campus, Harrelson’s struggle on the defensive end likely will limit his minutes again in the 2010 season.

Kevin Galloway (Southern Idaho)
Stats (1 season): 30 games, 1.8 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 44.9% FG
Impact: Another Billy Gillispie casualty, Galloway was seen by some as the answer to the point guard position due to his great size. He showed a couple flashes of brilliance but never saw serious action in his one season.

2005
Rekalin Sims (Salt Lake Community College)
Stats (1 season): 29 games, 4.4 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 44.6% FG
Impact: Remember how great this guy was for all of maybe 5 games for Kentucky. He was the best player on the team during the exhibition season, and then scored 22 points against a ranked Iowa squad early in the year. He then proceeded to score 24 points in ALL OF SEC PLAY! And just like that, the tornado known as Rekalin came and went through Lexington and he was gone to Fresno St, where he robbed a casino or something.

2004
Patrick Sparks (Western Kentucky)
Stats (2 seasons): 69 games, 10.3 ppg, 3.4 apg, 38% 3P
Impact: The forgotten 5th member of the heralded 2004 recruiting class, Sparks was a key cog in two NCAA Tournament teams. Sparks and Rajon Rondo gave Kentucky a top notch backcourt that went to an Elite Eight in 2005. Then Sparks proceeded to move into Denny’s and his 2005-06 year was inconsistent. Sparks is still is a legend though, beating down the Chin Straps with 3 late free throws.

2002
Antwain Barbour (Wabash Valley Community College)
Stats (2 seasons): 62 games, 4.1 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 26.8% 3P
Impact: Maybe the most hyped junior college player in the history of Earth, Barbour proceeded to give the rims at Rupp Arena alot of workout but not the nets so much. He did have 23 points in one game against Alabama, but there is no video evidence of said game, so I can not confirm this happened. Barbour reminded us there is a reason some of these guys go to junior college before heading the big time.

1997
Heshimu Evans (Manhattan)
Stats (2 seasons): 76 games, 10.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 49.4% FG
Impact: Probably my favorite transfer in recent UK history, Evans won a national title in 1998, and was a star on the 1999 team.  His reverse slam in the Indiana game is still one of the best dunks in UK history, and he became a fan favorite with his outgoing personality.  All in all, Evans is all you can possibly expect out of a transfer.   

1995
Derek Anderson (Ohio St.)
Stats (2 seasons): 55 games, 12.2 ppg, 50% FG, 39.9% 3P
Impact: Wow and wow.  Anderson was an incredible athlete who won one title, and likely cost UK another by blowing out his knee, which was very rude on his part.  But nonetheless, Anderson gave us some incredible highlights over his 2 years, and was one of the favorite players to grace the Blue and White.  It’s amazing he was able to ever leave the state out of Louisville, but he still gave us 2 of the best transfer years in UK history.

1993
Mark Pope (Washington)
Stats (2 seasons): 69 games, 7.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 49.7% FG
Impact: I bet a ton of people didn’t even know Pope was a transfer because he seemed to fit in very well at UK, and took home a title in 1996.  Despite being on 2 teams with athletic players all over the court, Pope was still productive in the post, and often times was key as a safety valve for a stalled offense.  What was most impressive about Pope was he accepted a semi-minor role on a team despite being a transfer, whereas many times a guy transfers to become the “guy” on the team.  And let’s not forge, Pope played in the NBA for a couple seasons, so he was no slouch.

1992
Rodney Dent (Odessa Junior College)
Stats (2 seasons): 45 games, 7.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 60.8% FG
Impact: Name all the players that were drafted in the NBA that played at UK.  Bet you don’t include Rodney Dent in that list.  But he was a 2nd round selection in 1994.  And if you think Anderson’s injury in 1997 was devastating, I would tell you Dent’s was just as bad, as it was a key factor in UK’s 2nd round loss to Marquette that season.  Dent was a freak athlete in the post, and is likely the best junior college player to come to UK.  Rick Pitino continued his great string of transfers, after Ford and Brown, with Rodney Dent.  A truly forgotten player at UK.

Other important transfers to UK
Dale Brown (1991)
Travis Ford (1991)
Kyle Macy (1977)
Bob Burrow (1954)
Basil Hayden (1919)
Todd Svoboda (1992)