How are former Kentucky basketball players doing in their new college homes?
This Kentucky basketball season isn’t going how anyone expected.
What about former UK players who have found new college homes since leaving Lexington?
Several have thrived since departing the Wildcats’ program for bigger opportunities elsewhere, though few have enjoyed much team success. In all, seven players who suited up for the Cats at one point are still active in college basketball. Here’s a look at what each of them has been doing during the 2022-23 season (with stats updated going into the weekend).
Dontaie Allen, Western Kentucky
A former Kentucky Mr. Basketball from Pendleton County, noted scorer Dontaie Allen put up some big numbers in a handful of games during his freshman season at UK before falling out of favor last year and playing limited minutes as a sophomore.
After three years with the Wildcats — he also sat out his first season on campus due to a knee injury — Allen decided to transfer to Western Kentucky, where he’s continued to struggle to find considerable playing time. Allen was averaging 12.7 minutes over his first three games with the Hilltoppers before he was forced to sit out due to an NCAA eligibility issue stemming from his time at Kentucky. That was sorted out, and the 6-foot-6 guard returned to the court in late December.
His stats for the season: 5.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game with zero starts for WKU, which has a 10-6 record and came into the weekend at No. 162 in the NCAA’s NET ratings. Allen is shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range, and his best scoring performance against Division I competition has been eight points in a win over North Texas. He did hit a huge three-pointer down the stretch to lift WKU to a win over UAB on Wednesday.
Devin Askew, California
Much-maligned in his one season as Kentucky’s starting point guard, Devin Askew had the unenviable task of leading the 2020-21 team filled with newcomers amid the restrictions in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That team went 9-16 — the worst record in modern program history — and Askew headed for the exit after one year. He ended up at Texas but didn’t make much of a splash with the Longhorns either and hit the transfer portal again last year.
Askew — a Sacramento native — now plays for California, and he’s leading the Bears with 16.1 points per game, adding 2.7 assists per game (with 3.0 turnovers) while shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range. The team results have not been good. Cal lost its first 12 games of the season and entered the weekend with a 3-14 record. The Bears are rated among the worst major-conference teams in the country, and Askew has missed three consecutive games with an injury.
Jemarl Baker, Fresno State
Now 24 years old, Jemarl Baker is still playing college basketball after starting his career with limited action during UK’s 2018-19 season. He played two years at Arizona after leaving Lexington, then ended up at Fresno State, where he was limited to five games last season due to a knee injury. Back on the court, Baker is second on the Bulldogs with 11.9 points per game and shooting 29.9 percent from three-point range. He did miss Fresno State’s loss to San Jose State on Tuesday night with an injury. The Bulldogs entered the weekend with a 6-10 record and ranked No. 193 in the NET ratings.
Keion Brooks Jr., Washington
A key contributor for Kentucky over his first three seasons in college, Keion Brooks left Lexington for a fresh start last year. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 24.5 minutes per game as a UK junior — starting all 33 of the Wildcats’ games — but has found a bigger role at Washington. Brooks leads the Huskies with 16.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He’s scored in double figures in all but two of Washington’s games, including a 30-point effort against Cal Poly last month. Washington has a 10-8 record (2-5 in Pac-12 play) and is No. 132 in the NET ratings.
Cam’Ron Fletcher, Florida State
Part of Kentucky’s star-studded 2020 recruiting class that ended up finishing with a 9-16 record in their only year together in college, Cam’Ron Fletcher had a checkered stint in Lexington that included being briefly dismissed from the team by John Calipari, who ultimately brought him back (but didn’t play him much upon his return). The 6-7 guard is now in his second year at Florida State, and he was a key player for the Seminoles before suffering a season-ending knee injury early last month. To that point in the season, Fletcher was averaging 10.8 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds. FSU lost nine of the 10 games he played in, however, and the Seminoles entered the weekend with a 5-12 record, positioned at No. 226 in the NET ratings.
Bryce Hopkins, Providence
For those Kentucky fans who have been paying attention, Bryce Hopkins is the one who got away. Hopkins wowed coaches and teammates with his play in the Wildcats’ preseason practices leading into the 2021-22 campaign, but he was mostly relegated to the bench in favor of more veteran players. Instead of staying at Kentucky for another year, Hopkins hit the transfer portal, ending up at Providence. And he’s been flourishing in his new home. The 6-7, 220-pound power forward leads the team with 16.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, and he’s second on the squad with 2.2 assists per game while hitting 48.1 percent of his shots, 72.6 percent of his free throws, and going 37.5 from three-point range.
Meanwhile, the Friars have a 14-3 record and a 6-0 mark in the Big East. They’re ranked No. 19 nationally in the latest Associated Press Top 25 poll and projected in the range of a 5 seed for the NCAA Tournament. Hopkins’ physical but skilled brand of basketball would probably be a welcome addition to this Kentucky team. He played just 6.4 minutes per game for the Cats last season.
Zan Payne, Louisville
A former Lexington Catholic standout and UK walk-on, Zan Payne left the Wildcats’ program last year to join his father, Kenny Payne, at Louisville. So far, the younger Payne has appeared in 11 games — matching his total over two seasons with UK — and scored three total points in 35 minutes of action. The Cardinals are off to a terrible start under their new head coach, taking a 2-15 record and No. 342 NET rating into the weekend.
Former Kentucky recruits
In addition to the seven former Kentucky Wildcats now playing for other college basketball teams, there are three players who were once committed to UK before backing out of those pledges and signing with different schools.
DJ Jeffries was the first such decommitment of the Calipari era, switching from the Cats to join his former AAU coach, Penny Hardaway, at Memphis (and later transferring to Mississippi State). Nolan Hickman was UK’s point guard of the future in the 2021 class before being released from his letter of intent and signing with Gonzaga instead. And point guard Skyy Clark was the Wildcats’ first commitment for the 2022 class before decommitting and ending up at Illinois this season. Here’s how they’ve fared this season.
Skyy Clark, Illinois: The No. 33 recruit in the final 2022 rankings was averaging 7.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24.4 minutes per game for the Illini before stepping away from the program, citing “personal reasons,” this month.
DJ Jeffries, Mississippi State: The former UK recruit is averaging 9.2 points with a career-high 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals, while playing 29.4 minutes per game and starting all 16 of the Bulldogs’ contests so far. Mississippi State is 12-4 (with a No. 50 NET rating) but has lost four of its last five games.
Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga: A Seattle native, Hickman ended up staying closer to home and is averaging 8.4 points and 3.7 assists per game — shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range — as the Zags’ starting point guard in year two. Gonzaga is ranked No. 8 in the Top 25 poll and defeated Kentucky 88-72 in the Spokane Arena earlier this season.
This story was originally published January 13, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
