Tracking Kentucky basketball roster moves: Bryce Hopkins enters the transfer portal
What’s next for Kentucky basketball?
Much of that will obviously depend on who’s playing for the Wildcats when the 2022-23 season begins. And that question might take a while to figure out.
Not long ago, there was a thinking that last year’s reforms to the NCAA’s name, image and likeness rules might usher in a new era of continuity for John Calipari’s program, which has been filled with players leaving earlier than expected to start their pro careers or transfer to other schools.
That might not be the case, and this offseason will be an interesting test of the theory.
The NBA Draft withdrawal date is expected to be June 1, and some of these stay-or-go decisions likely won’t be finalized for a while. The sure things are the departures of graduate guards Kellan Grady and Davion Mintz. UK has signed star recruits Chris Livingston and Cason Wallace for next season, and transfer guard CJ Fredrick, who sat out this past season with an injury, will also be on the 2022-23 roster.
Beyond that, there are many mysteries. Here’s the latest look at what to expect from those Wildcats, and this page will be updated throughout the offseason on Kentucky.com with the latest news on each player’s decision.
Oscar Tshiebwe
Status: Projected as second-round NBA pick.
Season stats: 17.4 points, 15.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.6 blocks, 31.9 minutes.
What’s next? Two weeks ago, it sure sounded like the national player of the year would be back at Kentucky for another run. That was the word both inside and outside the program. In the past few weeks — starting before UK’s loss to Saint Peter’s — that narrative was shifting toward uncertainty. Tshiebwe, who could make a boatload of NIL money with a UK return, has also been trending higher in NBA Draft projections, and the Herald-Leader was told before the tournament that he could be a late first-round pick on at least one team’s board. Tshiebwe was non-committal on his future in the immediate aftermath of the NCAA Tournament loss, and Calipari said he would talk soon with the UK big man about his best path forward.
TyTy Washington
Status: Projected as NBA lottery pick.
Season stats: 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 29.2 minutes, 35.0% threes.
What’s next? Washington told ESPN on April 6 that he will enter the NBA Draft this year, and he will hire an agent and keep his name in the draft. The Arizona native was considered to be the best freshman guard in college basketball for most of the season, but he just didn’t look like the same player following an ankle injury in January. Still, he’s projected as a lottery pick in this year’s draft.
Keion Brooks
Status: Not projected as NBA Draft pick.
Season stats: 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 24.5 minutes, 23.3% threes.
What’s next? Brooks announced April 4 that he would enter his name in the NBA Draft, though he is maintaining his eligibility, so he could return to college next season. The former five-star recruit finally emerged as a starter at Kentucky in his junior year, but he was still riddled with inconsistency in his third season of college. He could come back to UK for a senior year if he pulls his name out of the draft — he’s not even on ESPN’s list of Top 100 prospects — or he could even transfer to another school for a fresh start. Throughout the season, there were murmurs that this would be Brooks’ last run at UK, and he was awfully reflective on the postgame podium following the loss to Saint Peter’s, speaking almost in the past tense when talking about his Kentucky career. If he’s back, he’d join Alex Poythress as just the second out-of-state scholarship player to spend four seasons at UK in the Calipari era.
Sahvir Wheeler
Status: Not projected as NBA Draft pick.
Season stats: 10.1 points, 6.9 assists, 31.2 minutes, 30.8% threes.
What’s next? Wheeler led the SEC in assists for the second consecutive year, but his frenetic style was sometimes at odds with Kentucky’s team objectives, and the loss to Saint Peter’s was an example of that. He tested the NBA Draft waters last year before pulling out late in the process. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him take a long look at a pro career again this offseason — even though he’s not on ESPN’s Top 100 list — and it’s safe to say Calipari and the UK coaches will be vetting possible transfer point guards in the meantime.
Shaedon Sharpe
Status: Projected as top-10 draft pick.
Season stats: Did not play this season.
What’s next? Sharpe came to UK with the stated intention to sit out the remainder of this season, train with the team, and debut as a Wildcat in the 2022-23 campaign. He has not been available for any outside interviews since arriving on campus in January, but those in his camp have repeatedly said that’s still the plan. That has been met with skepticism outside of the program, however, and it sounded more and more as the season went on that those at UK also thought he’d be gone this offseason. Calipari sounded less sure about a Sharpe return on his final radio show of the season, saying he’d already sat down with the star recruit and his parents to talk about what’s next, and the NBA Draft is clearly a possibility there.
“I think he’s gotta explore,” Calipari said. “But he’s gotta make a decision on, ‘All right, do I want this right now? Am I ready for this right now? Is it where I thought it was? Or where people are saying?’ Because as you go through the process, the information comes back from the NBA — not an agent or anybody else around you — it comes from the NBA, and you have a better idea of what everything is.
“I hope I get a chance to coach him in real games, because I’ve really enjoyed him in practice. And I enjoy him as a young person. He’s one of those guys — he’s a super talent.”
Expect Sharpe to go through the NBA Draft process this spring, and prepare yourself for the likelihood that he keeps his name in the 2022 draft, where he’s No. 6 overall on ESPN’s latest board.
Jacob Toppin
Status: Not projected as NBA Draft pick.
Season stats: 6.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 17.7 minutes.
What’s next? Toppin took greater strides in his development this season, cementing himself as Kentucky’s top frontcourt option off the bench and earning Calipari’s trust as a key defender in certain matchups. The upside is there, but he isn’t close to fully realizing it yet. Toppin is not projected as an NBA pick this year, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he could work his way into that conversation with another year of college, especially after what could be a much bigger role on UK’s team next season.
Daimion Collins
Status: Projected as draft pick in 2023.
Season stats: 2.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.5 minutes.
What’s next? The former McDonald’s All-American was expected to be a “project” in his first season of college, and the emergence of Tshiebwe as national player of the year further limited Collins’ playing time. He didn’t play more than nine minutes in any game after Dec. 31 and never played double-digit minutes against a high-major opponent. Calipari clearly wants him back next season, and UK’s coaches would love to build on his near-limitless potential. It sounds like a return is probable. 247Sports analyst Travis Branham reported three days after the loss to Saint Peter’s that Collins is expected to be back with the Wildcats. Calipari didn’t exactly confirm that on his final radio show, but he did speak about the future he expects for Collins at Kentucky, praising his attitude and his parents’ understanding through a season that included little playing time.
“I think he becomes one of the best players in the country,” Calipari said. “I think the things he does, normal players can’t do. ... I look at him as one of the cornerstones of what will be this team.”
Lance Ware
Status: Not projected as NBA Draft pick.
Season stats: 1.5 points, 1.9 rebounds, 6.3 minutes.
What’s next? Ware’s potential playing time was also hindered by Tshiebwe’s max usage, but Calipari often went out of his way to praise the do-anything big man’s basketball IQ and willingness to put his body on the line for the good of the team. Ware came to Kentucky with realistic expectations. He didn’t even pick up a basketball until seventh grade, and he knew he wouldn’t be a one-and-done star in college. After two seasons of relatively little playing time, however, there were some rumblings late in the season of a possible transfer. It’s worth noting the Kenny Payne connection. Former Payne teammate and U of L star Pervis Ellison was Ware’s original basketball mentor, and William “World Wide Wes” Wesley — who got a shoutout from Payne at his introductory press conference as Louisville’s new coach — also has ties to Ware. There will be plenty of buzz around Ware’s future until he makes a definitive announcement.
Bryce Hopkins
Status:Entering the transfer portal.
Season stats: 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds, 6.4 minutes.
What’s next? Hopkins announced April 7 that he intends to enter the transfer portal and play basketball elsewhere next season. He originally committed to Louisville before reversing course and signing with Kentucky out of high school. Like Collins and Ware, he was largely relegated to the bench as the season went on — with the exception of that out-of-nowhere performance against Louisiana State. Hopkins was the talk of UK’s preseason practices, and that game against LSU shows he’s capable of big moments. Also like with Collins and Ware, UK’s head coach has gone out of his way to praise Hopkins, making it clear he didn’t want to lose him to the transfer portal this offseason.
Dontaie Allen
Status: Entering the transfer portal.
Season stats: 2.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 6.4 minutes.
What’s next? Allen announced March 24 that he will leave Kentucky’s program after three seasons. He released a statement on social media thanking UK fans, coaches and other team personnel for their support and revealing his intention to transfer. Allen, a former Kentucky Mr. Basketball, sat out his first year at UK due to injury and played sparingly over the past two seasons. The transfer portal will surely be filled with teams willing to take a shot on a former Top 100 recruit.
“Dontaie has been an incredible teammate and brought a lot to our program,” Calipari said in a statement. “He battled to overcome an injury early and never let the adversity change who he was. Proud of you, Dontaie! Thank you for the last three years and I wish you nothing but success on your journey!”
This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
