Kentucky Basketball Roster Tracker: Visits, New Names, Latest on Shaedon Sharpe
It was another busy weekend for the Kentucky coaching staff as work continues on the 2022-23 roster. Five-star wing Leonard Miller and Illinois State transfer Antonio Reeves were on campus Friday through Sunday to get a taste of the Kentucky experience, including a trip to Keeneland. Rising 2022 recruit Adou Thiero scheduled his official visit to Kentucky for later this month and a new name popped up on Kentucky’s radar: Detroit Mercy star Antoine Davis. CJ Fredrick also announced he’s returning to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season, as expected.
Since our last roster tracker update, we’ve also gotten clarity on who Kentucky is NOT pursuing in the transfer portal. Arkansas State’s Norchad Omier and Utah Valley’s Fardaws Aimaq didn’t include the Cats on their new lists of schools, another sign Oscar Tshiebwe will return to Kentucky. Pitt transfer Femi Odukale, whom the Cats were briefly linked to, is no longer receiving interest from the program.
This is an important week for draft decisions. Sunday, April 24 is the deadline for early entrants to announce they are declaring for the NBA Draft, even if they’re just testing the waters. So far, TyTy Washington, Keion Brooks, Jacob Toppin, and Oscar have all declared for the draft, with TyTy the only player to sign with an agent and forgo his eligibility. The buzz about Oscar continues to be good, with an announcement about his return expected soon. As for Shaedon Sharpe, he has yet to announce he is declaring for the draft. The deadline is Sunday, so one way or another, we will find out something this week.
So here’s where we stand with Kentucky’s 2022-23 roster on the afternoon of April 18, and the latest that Jack Pilgrim is hearing behind the scenes. Monday’s updates are still marked since they’re still fresh. 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
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.
UPDATED 4/18: On Saturday, Fredrick announced he will return to Kentucky for the 2022-23 season, as expected, along with a video of him swishing threes at Memorial Coliseum.
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: CJ Fredrick returning to Kentucky is no surprise, but an interesting bonus to that news is the fact that the 3-point sniper plans to use his remaining two years of eligibility in Lexington — three if the NCAA grants him a medical waiver at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season. Fredrick has been in college four years now, sitting out two and playing two. He could be in school as many as seven total if a waiver is granted.
Either way, Fredrick’s time in Lexington is just getting started.
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. 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.
- 2021-22 season: 12.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 29.2 MPG
Dontaie Allen (G, R So.) – Allen announced he was entering the transfer portal on March 24, ending his career at Kentucky. He committed to Western Kentucky on April 13. 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
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. On April 7, Hopkins announced he is entering the transfer portal, ending his time in Lexington.
- 2021-22 season: 2.1 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 6.4 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 that 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, paving way for a fresh start for both sides.
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 4/18: We’re still waiting on Oscar’s decision. A week ago, he told LEX18 that he was a week or two away from sharing his plans with the BBN, so it could come very soon. All signs continue to point to him returning to Kentucky for a senior season as hurdles have been cleared to allow him to profit off his name, image, and likeness (NIL). Last week, Oscar met with Senator Mitch McConnell to push for new federal legislation for foreign student-athletes regarding NIL. He was also named a Kentucky Colonel by Governor Andy Beshear at the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast, where he shared his story and how much he loves being at UK.
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Optimism regarding Tshiebwe’s potential — and likely — return continues to ramp up in Lexington. The most significant hurdles regarding NIL have been cleared and Kentucky is no longer pursuing top frontcourt options in the transfer portal. NBA teams continue to do their research — one team told KSR at the Jordan Brand Classic that the 6-foot-9 center is viewed as a fringe first-round pick — but the expectation remains that Tshiebwe returns to Kentucky next season.
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. On April 12, Toppin announced he will enter the 2022 NBA Draft but left the option to return to school open. At under 20 minutes a game in his second season as a Wildcat, Toppin stands to see an increased role next year once he receives NBA feedback from the draft process. He is not considered a legitimate NBA Draft prospect for this upcoming draft.
- 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: An intriguing prospect with phenomenal upside, the school expects Toppin to return in 2022-23, building on a solid junior season in Lexington.
Unknown
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 4/18: On April 12, Travis Branham reported that Sharpe will test the NBA Draft waters, but there still has not been an announcement from Sharpe. On Friday, Kyle Tucker reported that Sharpe is enrolled at Kentucky for summer and fall classes, but also held a private workout for NBA scouts at Kentucky’s gym and “crushed it.” Matt Jones is hearing that Sharpe’s camp continues to tell the coaching staff he will be back next season; however, on Sunday, Sharpe tweeted this video from a workout in Phoenix.
Here are all of Matt’s comments regarding Sharpe from today’s radio show:
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Sharpe’s situation is a complicated one, one that has both Kentucky and NBA teams uncertain about the five-star freshman’s status. As they have said from the start, Sharpe and his camp continue to tell individuals around the program that the plan is to return to Kentucky. On the other hand, though, NBA teams believe the standout guard is looking for a draft guarantee in the top 10 and will ultimately get that guarantee — one scout told KSR at the Jordan Brand Classic he expects Sharpe to be off the board in time for his team’s pick in the late lottery.
There’s a long history between John Calipari and Sharpe’s camp with a lot of mutual trust. At the same time, Sharpe waiting until the withdrawal deadline before deciding to leave is a worst-case scenario for Kentucky, leaving the Wildcats scrambling at the 11th hour to find a star on the wing. Right now the school is trying to find the right balance of coming up with backup options while also leaving the door cracked for a possible return.
NBA teams expect Sharpe to put and keep his name in the draft. Clear and strong skepticism remains in national basketball circles, with the expectation growing that the 6-foot-5 guard leaves. Kentucky is juggling those whispers with direct conversations with Sharpe and his camp indicating a return is still the plan.
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
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Kentucky expects Sahvir Wheeler to return to school for his senior campaign, hoping to again build the roster with dynamic shooting and scoring threats to maximize his playmaking potential. There is a clear need, though, for ball security and shooting from the position and an added piece is expected through the portal.
Could a shakeup be possible? It will come down to role for Wheeler. If a clear starting threat joins the fold, would the 5-foot-9 point guard be comfortable coming off the bench? That’s certainly a conversation worth having a bit further down the road.
High School Signees
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). At the Jordan Brand Classic, Livingston was one of the top performers, finishing with 21 points (8-16 FG, 2-5 3PT, 3-7 FT), eight rebounds, three steals and five turnovers. He and Wallace will also represent Kentucky at the Iverson Classic on April 30.
- 2021-22 season (high school): 18.2 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.9 SPG
- KSR Film Breakdown
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 shined at the Jordan Brand Classic, putting up 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-3 FT), four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. He and Livingston will also represent Kentucky at the Iverson Classic on April 30.
- 2021-22 season (high school): 19.9 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.1 APG
- KSR Film Breakdown
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
UPDATED 4/18: Thiero will visit Kentucky April 27-28. This week, he will visit Pittsburgh and Maryland, per Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He will also visit Xavier, although no date has been confirmed.
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 Xavier, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati. The previous expectation was that the unranked guard would ultimately sign somewhere he could be an immediate contributor, but his visit to Lexington is intriguing. There was initial confusion regarding Thiero’s offer status — full-ride, preferred walk-on, or a committable roster spot in general — but a scheduled trip to Kentucky indicates mutual interest one way or another.
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 has extended a scholarship offer.
UPDATED 4/18: Miller visited Kentucky April 15-17 and posted pictures of his jersey photoshoot on Instagram. He is down to a final three of Kentucky, Arizona, and the NBA’s G League Ignite. He visited the G-League Ignite last week and is currently on a visit to Arizona.
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Miller is down to the G League, Kentucky and Arizona, taking a trip to all three options in recent days. The pro route has long been seen as the favorite, 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, with contact ramping up ever since. Miller’s official visit to Kentucky went well, as expected, but talk of avoiding school remains prominent. NBA teams still expect the 6-foot-11 wing to turn pro, likely signing with the G League before entering the draft next season. A final decision is expected in the next week or so either way.
Adrame Diongue (C) – In March, the 7-foot center out of Chandler, Arizona, and a native of Senegal narrowed his list to Kentucky, Kansas, UNLV, Washington State, and Texas Tech. At the GEICO Nationals, he told On3 that he’s working with Kentucky’s staff to set up a visit. He is ranked No. 36 overall and No. 6 at his position in the 2022 On3 Player Rankings.
Pilgrim’s Insider Notes: Brand new to the sport, Diongue is looking for a school that will develop his game over time. The Kentucky connections are also there, as he’s a former teammate of TyTy Washington at AZ Compass Prep. He’s an intriguing multi-year prospect if he’s comfortable waiting his turn.
Transfer Portal Targets
BACKCOURT
Courtney Ramey, Texas (G, Sr.) – Ramey declared for the draft and entered the transfer portal on March 31 after four seasons at Texas. Ramey was a two-time All-Big 12 selection and considered one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. He is a former four-star prospect and actually committed to play for Louisville under Rick Pitino before flipping to Texas.
Ramey’s father told Jon Rothstein that Kentucky, Connecticut, Gonzaga, Marquette, Murray State, TCU, Villanova, and Wisconsin are among the 17 programs that have reached out to him since he entered the portal.
The 6-foot-3 guard has also been a solid 3-point shooter over the course of his four-year career, knocking down 36.5% of his shots from deep on 4.2 attempts per game. He converted on 41.4% of his 3-pointers on a career-high 4.5 attempts per game in 2020-21.
- 2021-22 season: 9.4 PPG (39.7% FG, 35% 3PT), 3.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 30.1 MPG
- Highlights
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
- Highlights
Antoine Davis, Detroit Mercy (SG, Sr.) – ADDED 4/18 – Davis entered the transfer portal on April 14. It didn’t take long for Kentucky to reach out to Brad Calipari’s former teammate, who was the third-leading scorer in college basketball last season. He has also heard from Kansas, Memphis, Auburn, Maryland, Alabama, Purdue, Ohio State, LSU, Kansas State, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Hofstra, Minnesota and Central Florida.
Davis broke Stephen Curry’s freshman 3-point record with 132 makes from deep and averaged 24.6 points over the course of his four-year career. He earned All-Horizon League honors every season at Detroit Mercy.
- 2021-22 season: 23.9 PPG (42.9% FG, 37.9% 3PT FG), 4.4 APG, 3.6 RPG
- Highlights
WING
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. He’s a Chicago native and also played for Mac Irvin Fire, which was once coached by current Kentucky assistant Chin Coleman. Shannon is known as arguably the best perimeter defender in the portal and shot 38.4% from three as a junior. He’s considered one of the top available players on the transfer market.
- 2021-22 season: 10.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 25.0 MPG
- Highlights
UPDATED 4/18: Michigan is trending as the leader for Shannon, with 24/7 High School Hoops reporting it’s “nearly a done deal.”
Antonio Reeves, Illinois State (SG/SF, Jr.) – 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. So far, he has visited Nebraska and Kentucky.
Standing 6-6 and knocking down 39% of his 3-point attempts, Reeves scored in double figures in 31 of 33 games this season, including 18 20-point performances. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
- 2021-22 Season: 20.1 PPG (46.9% FG, 39.0% 3PT FG), 3.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG
- Highlights
UPDATED 4/18: Reeves visited Kentucky April 15-17, posting pictures of himself in a Kentucky jersey on Instagram with the disclaimer, “Not Committed.” According to Andrew Slater, Kentucky was the heavy favorite heading into the weekend:
FRONTCOURT (Oscar Insurance)
Kenneth Lofton Jr., Louisiana Tech (F) – The 6’7″ 275 lbs. forward from Port Arthur, Texas entered the transfer portal on April 8. On April 10, Jon Rothstein reported that Kentucky is among the schools showing interest, along with Houston, Texas, Auburn, LSU, Texas A&M, Tulsa, Memphis, Southern California, UC Santa Barbara, Kansas State, Gonzaga, and Ole Miss. He is also testing the NBA Draft waters and has not ruled out a return to Louisiana Tech. As a sophomore in the 2021-22 season, Lofton was tabbed to the All-Conference USA First-Team and the Karl Malone Award Watch List.
- 2021-22 season: 16.5 PPG (53.9% FG), 10.5 RPG, 2.8 APG
- Highlights
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