Kentucky basketball roster 2026-27, latest on Mark Pope's offseason

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LEXINGTON — Heading into his first season as Kentucky basketball's coach, Mark Pope inherited no players from his predecessor, John Calipari. So Pope went to the transfer portal to build his roster in 2024-25.

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Entering his second campaign, he retained four players from Year 1: guards Otega Oweh and Collin Chandler along with forwards Brandon Garrison and Trent Noah.

How many players from UK's 2025-26 roster will be back next season is up in the air.

But after the season-ending loss to Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Pope revealed his intentions.

"Retention is a big part of this, and we have good young players. You think about, you're starting a first-year center and a first-year power forward and a sophomore 2-guard," Pope said, referring to center Malachi Moreno, international forward Andrija Jelavić and Chandler. "It wasn't the plan coming into the season, but it's what we ended up with, and those guys have gained some great experience and they're going to get better and better and better.

"We'll start there and kind of build out from there."

Moreno revealed his designs for the future Monday: He'll test the NBA draft waters while retaining his college eligibility. Should he withdraw from the draft, Moreno said he'll return for another season at UK.

The Wildcats were guaranteed to lose at least two players, as Oweh and fellow senior Denzel Aberdeen are out of eligibility. Four more players — Garrison and fellow forward Mouhamed Dioubate along with guards Jasper Johnson and Jaland Lowe — are planning to transfer.

Keep this page bookmarked throughout the offseason to see how Kentucky's 2026-27 roster is shaping up.

Which Kentucky Wildcats could return next season?

Kentucky basketball outgoing transfers

Mouhamed Dioubate

Transfer No. 4 for UK this offseason, Mouhamed Dioubate had an up-and-down season. He started the first five games before missing nearly a month. Dioubate then moved back into the lineup for five contests in the middle of December through the early portion of January. He returned to the bench, appearing as a reserve in the Wildcats' final 20 games. Dioubate led UK in rebounding eight times and in blocks on eight occasions. He ended the 2025-26 campaign averaging 8.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 1 steal per game.

Brandon Garrison

Brandon Garrison was the third player from UK's 2025-26 squad to enter the portal, putting his name in April 3. Garrison never was able to live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied him after arriving in Lexington. He was a McDonald's All-American in 2023, then had a promising freshman season at Oklahoma State in 2023-24, averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. But in two seasons at UK, he started just five times in 71 appearances. Garrison averaged 5.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in his career as a Wildcat.

Jasper Johnson

The second player to portal for Kentucky this offseason, Jasper Johnson had a disappointing freshman campaign. Aiming to be a one-and-done NBA draft pick, Johnson struggled to find points or consistent playing time. Though he had a reputation as a bucket-getter in high school, that didn't immediately translate to the college level. In 35 games for the Wildcats in 2025-26, Johnson reached the 10-point mark only five times. He ended his lone season in Lexington averaging 4.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per outing. He's the son of Dennis Johnson, who had a stellar stint as a defensive lineman for Kentucky's football program a quarter century ago.

Jaland Lowe

The first player to reveal intentions to transfer, Jaland Lowe was supposed to be Kentucky's starting point guard last season. But he went down with a shoulder injury in the Blue-White preseason scrimmage in October. The injury lingered into the season, limiting him to just nine games before undergoing corrective surgery in January, after which Lowe didn't take the court again. He averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 18.4 minutes per game in his brief stint with the Wildcats.

Which UK basketball players declared for 2026 NBA Draft?

Malachi Moreno

A freshman from nearby Georgetown, Malachi Moreno announced April 6 he'd go through the NBA draft process while maintaining his college eligibility. He said if he doesn't remain in the draft, he'll be back for Year 2 in Lexington. Moreno played in all 36 games (30 starts) for Kentucky last season, pacing the team in rebounds (6.3) and blocks (1.47) per game as well as double-doubles (three) and field goal percentage (58.2; 96 for 165).

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Which recruits have signed with Mark Pope and UK basketball? 

Mason Williams

The son of new assistant coach and NBA veteran Mo Williams, Mason Williams is a four-star guard. He was the first — and as of April 6, only — commitment in the 2026 class for the Wildcats. The younger Williams is the No. 12 point guard in the country in the 247Sports Composite rankings. Williams is the No. 3 prospect in Tennessee.

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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball transfer portal moves, Mark Pope recruiting news

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