Kentucky Basketball tabbed a winner of 2021-22 transfer season

John Calipari recruits the best available players to Kentucky and it doesn’t seem to matter how he does it.

Over at the Worldwide Leader, ESPN unveiled its “winners and losers” from the 2021-22 college basketball transfer season. Jeff Borzello went with 28 total winners and had the Kentucky Wildcats near the very top, one spot behind the Texas Longhorns. Over the summer, Calipari has managed to add three high-profile transfers in Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia), Kellan Grady (Davidson), and C.J. Fredrick (Iowa) while also bringing in Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) back in January.

Here’s what Borzello had to say about Kentucky’s impressive transfer portal raid:

Kentucky Wildcats: We’re used to seeing John Calipari land several of the top high school prospects, but he and his staff hit the transfer portal hard this spring (while still bringing in multiple five-star recruits, of course). Oscar Tshiebwe averaged nearly a double-double at West Virginia two seasons ago, while Kellan Grady is a big-time scorer who earned all-conference honors all four seasons at Davidson. Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia) led the SEC in assists and CJ Fredrick (Iowa) was arguably the best 3-point shooter in the portal.
ESPN

Joining this foursome of talented college veterans is a trio of freshmen in TyTy Washington, Daimion Collins, and Bryce Hopkins. Mix in the returns of Keion Brooks Jr., Dontaie Allen, Lance Ware, Jacob Toppin, and Davion Mintz, and Kentucky has a roster with few weaknesses. UK is primed to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing 2020-21 season.

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Despite adding these four high-profile transfers, Borzello put Texas ahead of Kentucky, pointing to the haul that Longhorns’ head coach Chris Beard pulled in during the offseason, including a former Wildcat in Devin Askew. Texas added one of the top overall transfers in point guard Marcus Carr (Minnesota) along with Timmy Allen (Utah), Tre Mitchell (UMass), Christian Bishop (Creighton), and Dylan Disu (Vanderbilt).

Several programs familiar to the Big Blue Nation were also named winners by Borzello, such as Auburn, Arkansas, Florida, Mississippi State, Louisville, LSU, and Ole Miss. As for the losers, the Georgia Bulldogs were one of 13 schools placed in that category.