Former Kentucky walk-on Grant Darbyshire transfers to Cincinnati

Kentucky walk-on Grant Darbyshire at Media Day in 2023 - Photo by Aaron Perkins | Kentucky Sports Radio

Cincinnati will roll with a pair of former Wildcats in 2025-26.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Bearcats men’s basketball program announced that Grant Darbyshire, who was a walk-on at Kentucky from 2022-25, has joined the team as a transfer addition. A 6-foot-2 guard, Darbyshire was raised in Cincinnati and attended Cincinnati’s Sycamore High School before coming to UK ahead of the 2022-23 season. He’ll join the Bearcats as a graduate student, this being his final year of college eligibility.

Cincinnati now rosters both Darbyshire and former Kentucky guard Kerr Kriisa, who was in Lexington for one season (2024-25) before going into the portal and landing with the Bearcats. Kriisa appeared in just nine games for the ‘Cats before going down with a season-ending foot injury.

Welcome to the squad, @GrantDarbyshire! 🤝 pic.twitter.com/FcVIVQEdjE
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) June 17, 2025

During his time at Kentucky as a walk-on, Darbyshire appeared in six total games, playing only four combined minutes. During the 2023-24 season, he saw action in wins over Marshall, Louisville, Illinois State, and on the road at Vanderbilt. This past season, he appeared in Kentucky’s final home game vs. LSU and the NCAA Tournament opening win vs. Troy.

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Off the court, he was a multi-year member of the SEC Honor Roll and was inducted into the Frank G. Ham Society of Character, the highest honor a University of Kentucky athlete can earn, during the 2024-25 season. Darbyshire was also a Four-time All Conference Academic Team member in high school. He graduated from UK in May after just three years.

Darbyshire was one of the three walk-ons to play under Mark Pope in his first season as Kentucky’s head coach. Walker Horn and Zach Tow have returned for the 2025-26 season, but Darbyshire is heading 90 minutes north.

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