Kentucky basketball player will enter transfer portal as Calipari nears exit to Arkansas
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After one season with Kentucky, former five-star basketball recruit Aaron Bradshaw will enter the transfer portal.
Bradshaw’s decision came Monday morning, following the news that John Calipari was finalizing a deal to become the next head coach at Arkansas but before that move became official. Even if Calipari had stayed in Lexington, the future of Bradshaw — once regarded as the possible No. 1 overall recruit in the 2023 class — was far from certain.
In a post on his Instagram page, Bradshaw confirmed that he was moving on from UK after one season.
“To the incredible Wildcats fans, my teammates, coaches and supporters, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for the unwavering support you have shown me throughout my time at the University of Kentucky,” Bradshaw said in the post. “Representing the blue and white has genuinely been an absolute honor, and I am grateful for every opportunity I’ve had to put on a Kentucky jersey.
“Thank you to Coach Calipari, and the whole Kentucky staff for the support and guidance I have received throughout every step of my process. Your belief in me has fueled my drive and determination, and I am committed to making you proud, both on and off the court. Thank you to my teammates for battling alongside me and inspiring me to be my best.”
Bradshaw then said that he would put his name in the NBA draft, in addition to confirming his decision to enter the transfer portal.
“This has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I am eager to explore what the next chapter in my basketball journey holds while continuing to develop and grow each and every day,” he said.
Bradshaw averaged 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game, playing 13.8 minutes over 26 total appearances, with 10 starts. The 7-foot-1 freshman missed the entire offseason and preseason following a foot injury suffered last spring but made a splash in his second career college game, tallying 17 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in UK’s 81-66 win over Penn on Dec. 9.
That ended up being one of the few highlights of Bradshaw’s brief career with the Wildcats, and he finished the season playing relatively sparingly, behind fellow 7-footers Zvonimir Ivisic and Ugonna Onyenso in Calipari’s frontcourt pecking order.
Bradshaw’s immense upside and untapped potential will make him a coveted target for other schools in the transfer portal, despite his unimpressive numbers as a freshman at Kentucky.
He was viewed as an NBA possible lottery pick before his foot injury, but he currently sits at No. 73 overall on ESPN’s latest list of the top 100 prospects for this year’s draft.
Bradshaw is just the third of 10 Kentucky scholarship players with remaining eligibility to reveal his offseason plans. Sophomore forward Adou Thiero has entered the transfer portal, though he’s also entered his name in the NBA draft while leaving open the option to return to UK next season. Freshman guard Justin Edwards announced last week that he is entering the NBA draft, where he’s projected as a possible first-round pick this year.
College basketball players have until May 1 to enter the transfer portal. The early-entry deadline for the 2024 NBA draft is April 27, and players who enter the draft with remaining NCAA eligibility will have until May 29 to remove their names from consideration and return to school.
As of Monday morning, there were still seven UK underclassmen that had not revealed their plans for next season: Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, D.J. Wagner, Onyenso, Ivisic, Jordan Burks and Joey Hart.
This story was originally published April 8, 2024 at 11:44 AM.
