Top three Kentucky targets in the transfer portal
Kentucky basketball is still dancing in the NCAA Tournament, headed to the Sweet 16 on Friday in Indianapolis, but that doesn’t mean the recruiting stops. With the transfer portal now officially, open, more and more players are hitting the portal, which means more targets for Kentucky. The list is growing by the day. Right now, there have been five targets with confirmed contact from the Kentucky staff.
Let’s take a look at three of those targets that need to be at the top of the staff’s list of those most prioritized.
1. Trey Eaglestaff
Eaglestaff is receiving plenty of interest in the portal, with a slew of programs expressing interest in him soon after he put his name in. This is one that was expected to receive interest from the Wildcats and now it’s confirmed. The 6-6 guard would be a great fit for Mark Pope’s system, a player capable of going off on any given night. A streaky scorer, Eaglestaff averaged 18.9 points, 2.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game last season at North Dakota, shooting 41.6 percent overall and 35.9 percent from deep. His best games last season included a 40-point game against Alabama and a 50-point outing in the Summit League quarterfinal. His scoring upside should be intriguing for the Kentucky staff.
2. Dedan Thomas
When thinking about who will be staying or going when Kentucky’s season ends, one spot that will see a big change is point guard. Lamont Butler will be gone after this season due to graduation, which leaves Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, both current Freshmen, to fill the void in the starting lineup. That’s no knock to them, but an elite transfer would do wonders at that position, especially considering how Lamont Butler has turned out to be. Kentucky has expressed interest in UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas, who is one of the top overall prospects in the portal, Thomas is a very capable scorer with a knack and attacking the rim, but his playmaking really stands out, and having a very good playmaker at the one spot is what the best teams usually have. Last season, Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds, shooting 41.3 percent overall and 35.6 percent from three.
3. Nick Davidson
Kentucky should welcome a big man that can stretch the floor to replace Andrew Carr (graduation) next season and Nick Davidson is that. Kentucky fans know Carr’s offensive ability and what he is capable of, and Davidson can fill that void next season. A 6-10 big man from Nevada, Davidson is currently seen as one of the top current available players in the portal. Last season with the Wolfpack, he averaged 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists, shooting a very efficient 50 percent overall and 37.1 percent from three. That’s a weapon Mark Pope would surely welcome in his offensive system, a big man that can really stretch the floor and help space the offense.
As with the other targets in the transfer portal right now, it’s unclear this early just how far the interest will go, especially given the fact Kentucky is gearing up for the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament later this week. But, these three tarrgets sure do make a great case to be atop the staff’s list of preferred transfers.
