Kentucky basketball announces player jersey numbers for the 2025-26 season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kentucky basketball finalizes jersey numbers for players on the 2025-26 roster.
- The Wildcats' roster includes four first-year college basketball players.
- Several returning UK players are wearing the same jersey numbers as last season.
A new Kentucky men’s basketball season is on the horizon.
And one of the most anticipated moments of the offseason has now arrived.
The roster of Kentucky basketball players for next season has been posted online on the UK Athletics website. This includes the jersey numbers that players on Mark Pope’s second UK basketball team will wear during the 2025-26 season.
The online roster includes 14 players for next season’s team.
This includes four returnees from last season’s Sweet 16 team: guards Collin Chandler and Otega Oweh, forward Trent Noah and center Brandon Garrison.
Former walk-on players Walker Horn and Zach Tow were not listed on UK’s online roster, but they’ve taken part in Kentucky’s practice sessions this summer.
The online roster also includes 10 newcomers to the UK program.
Six of those came to Lexington via the NCAA transfer portal. They are guards Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) and Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), forward Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), centers Reece Potter (Miami) and Jayden Quaintance (Arizona State) and wing Kam Williams (Tulane).
Additionally, four first-year college players will suit up for the Cats this fall. They are guard Jasper Johnson, small forward Braydon Hawthorne, forward Andrija Jelavic and center Malachi Moreno.
In numerical order, here’s a look at the jersey numbers that will be used for players on the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball team.
Otega Oweh — 00
Oweh is returning for his fourth and final college basketball season. He began his college career with two seasons at Oklahoma, and Oweh opted to return to Kentucky after leading the Wildcats with 16.2 points per game last season.
Once again, Oweh will match his initials by wearing No. 00 for his second and final season with the Wildcats.
Before Oweh, the last UK player to wear No. 00 was forward Marcus Lee on the 2015-16 Kentucky team.
Others to wear No. 00 at Kentucky (per BigBlueHistory.net): Adam Chiles, Tony Delk, Leroy Byrd, John DeMoisey.
Denzel Aberdeen — 1
Aberdeen arrives at Kentucky with a championship pedigree. He played in 39 games (with five starts) at Florida last season. The Gators won both the 2025 SEC Tournament and the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Aberdeen averaged 7.7 points while shooting 35% from 3-point range for the national champions last season. He spent the first three seasons of his college career at Florida before transferring to Kentucky.
Before Aberdeen, the last UK player to wear the No. 1 jersey was point guard Lamont Butler last season.
Others to wear No. 1 at Kentucky: C.J. Fredrick, Nate Sestina, Sacha Killeya-Jones, Skal Labissiere, Devin Booker, James Young, Darius Miller, Alex Legion, Brandon Stockton, Cliff Hawkins, John Trivette.
Jasper Johnson — 2
Johnson is one of the focal points of Kentucky’s 2025 recruiting class. A five-star shooting guard, he began his high school basketball career at Woodford County in Versailles before playing at Link Academy in Missouri and at the Overtime Elite program in Atlanta.
Johnson is a son of Dennis Johnson, the former Harrodsburg, UK and NFL football player who currently serves as the head football coach and athletic director at Woodford County. Johnson’s grandfather is Alvis Johnson, the legendary former Harrodsburg High School football coach who died in 2023. Alvis also worked for nearly a decade at UK as an assistant athletic director.
This summer, Johnson was part of the 12-player United States roster that won the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Switzerland.
Before Johnson, the last Kentucky basketball player to wear No. 2 was Jaxson Robinson last season.
Others to wear No. 2 at Kentucky: Sahvir Wheeler, Devin Askew, Kahlil Whitney, Jarred Vanderbilt, Aaron Harrison, Stacey Poole, Matt Scherbenske, Ravi Moss, Rashaad Carruth, James Mathewson, Bill Davis, Louis McGinnis.
Kam Williams — 3
Williams began his college career at Tulane and was the first player to commit to Kentucky from the transfer portal this offseason.
He made 63 3-pointers last season as a freshman with the Green Wave, converting 41.2% of his shots from deep. Williams averaged 9.3 points and 4.5 rebounds for Tulane last season.
Williams actually committed to Kentucky while the Wildcats were still competing in last season’s NCAA Tournament.
Before Williams, the last UK player to wear No. 3 was Adou Thiero during the 2023-24 season.
Others to wear No. 3 at Kentucky: TyTy Washington, Brandon Boston, Tyrese Maxey, Keldon Johnson, Hamidou Diallo, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Ulis, Nerlens Noel, Terrence Jones, Darnell Dodson, Kevin Galloway, Ramel Bradley, J. P. Blevins, Allen Edwards, Chris Harrison, Rex Chapman, Wilbur Schu, Adrian Back, Lee Huber, Bernard Opper.
Andrija Jelavic — 4
Jelavic is one of the most intriguing additions to Pope’s second UK basketball team.
The Croatian big man will arrive in Lexington with past professional playing experience in Europe as a member of Mega MIS, a pro team based in Serbia. The 21-year-old Jelavic also has past playing experience with several Croatian youth national teams.
Before Jelavic, the last Kentucky player to wear the No. 4 jersey was sharpshooter Koby Brea last season.
Others to wear No. 4 at Kentucky: Tre Mitchell, Daimion Collins, Nick Richards, Charles Matthews, Jon Hood, Dusty Mills, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Fitch, Steve Masiello, Rodney Dent, Derrick Miller, Kyle Macy, Bill Chambers, Bruce Boehler, Keith Farnsley, Harris Walker.
Collin Chandler — 5
Chandler, who was previously signed to play college basketball for Pope at BYU before backing out of that pledge and following Pope to Kentucky, is again sporting the No. 5 jersey for his sophomore season.
As a freshman, Chandler played in 30 games off the bench for the Cats. He only scored 82 total points, but he grew in confidence as the season progressed. Chandler made five 3-pointers across UK’s three NCAA Tournament games last season.
Before Chandler, the last UK player to wear No. 5 was Terrence Clarke, who played the 2020-21 season at UK. Clarke died in a car accident while preparing for the 2021 NBA draft.
Others to wear No. 5 at Kentucky: Immanuel Quickley, Kevin Knox, Malik Monk, Andrew Harrison, Jarrod Polson, Ramon Harris, Derrick Jasper, Josh Carrier, Nate Knight, Wayne Turner, Travis Ford, Mike Ballenger, John Stough, Alonzo Nelson, Bill Cravens, James King, John McIntosh, Edward Tierney, Charles Worthington.
Trent Noah — 9
A former star player at Harlan County High School, Noah was a late addition to Pope’s first Kentucky team after backing out of his pledge to play at South Carolina.
Noah made 24 appearances off the bench for UK last season. He made 12 3-pointers and grabbed 17 offensive rebounds as a freshman. Noah is set to be one of four players from the commonwealth on the 2025-26 Kentucky team.
Noah also wore the No. 9 jersey for Kentucky last season.
Before Noah, the last UK player to wear No. 9 was Glen Parker, a sub-6-foot guard who played on the 1943-44 Kentucky team.
Others to wear No. 9 at Kentucky: Kenneth England, James Goforth, Bill Spicer, Crittenden Blair, Cecil Bell.
Brandon Garrison — 10
Despite early offseason speculation about a potential transfer elsewhere, the gregarious Garrison remains at Kentucky for his junior season.
A 2023 McDonald’s All-American, Garrison began his college career at Oklahoma State before transferring to Kentucky ahead of Pope’s first season as head coach.
As a sophomore, Garrison made 35 appearances for Kentucky, all in a reserve role. He averaged 5.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 17.3 minutes per game.
Before Garrison, the last UK player to wear No. 10 was guard Davion Mintz, who wore the number for both the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons after he transferred to Kentucky from Creighton.
Others to wear No. 10 at Kentucky: Johnny Juzang, Jonny David, Archie Goodwin, Landon Slone, Lukasz Obrzut, Keith Bogans, Andre Riddick, Tony Mathis, James Blackmon, Dirk Minniefield, Joey Holland, Ray Edelman, Jim Dinwiddie, Louie Dampier, Edward Mason, Lowell Hughes, Lincoln Collinsworth, Gerry Calvert, Layton Rouse, Elmo Head, Sam Potter, William Kleiser.
Jaland Lowe — 15
Lowe spent the first two seasons of his college career at Pittsburgh, and he was one of the most highly sought-after guards in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason.
Lowe, who projects to be Kentucky’s starting point guard, averaged 16.8 points and 5.5 assists for the Panthers last season. He also averaged nearly 36 minutes per contest during his second and final season at Pitt.
Before Lowe, the last UK player to wear No. 15 was Ansley Almonor last season.
Others to wear No. 15 at Kentucky: Reed Sheppard, Isaac Humphries, Willie Cauley-Stein, DeMarcus Cousins, A.J. Stewart, Matt Heissenbuttel, Jeff Sheppard, Ed Davender, Chris Gettelfinger, Steve Williams, Reggie Warford, Alex Groza, George Vulich, Melvin Brewer, Stan Cluggish, J. Rice Walker.
Jayden Quaintance — 21
Quaintance has taken an interesting path to finally becoming a Kentucky basketball player.
After reclassifying from the 2025 to the 2024 recruiting group, he was one of six freshman commits for former UK coach John Calipari. That recruiting class fell apart after Calipari’s decision to leave Kentucky for Arkansas.
Quaintance then reopened his recruitment and spent his freshman college season at Arizona State, where he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 24 games (all starts) before suffering a torn ACL. He then entered the transfer portal and opted to commit again to Kentucky, with Pope now in charge in Lexington.
Quaintance was the youngest player in all of college basketball last season, and he will play his entire sophomore season as an 18-year-old.
Before Quaintance, the last UK player to wear No. 21 was Walker Horn last season.
Others to wear No. 21 at Kentucky: D.J. Wagner, Shaedon Sharpe, Cam’Ron Fletcher, Tod Lanter, Perry Stevenson, Shagari Alleyne, Tayshaun Prince, Cameron Mills, Henry Thomas, Chris Jones, Terry Shigg, Jack Givens, Elmore Stephens, Steve Penhorwood, Terry Mills, Jim McDonald, Harry Hurd, Jake Bronston.
Braydon Hawthorne — 22
Hawthorne was the fourth and final first-year newcomer to join the Wildcats this offseason.
A childhood Kentucky fan, Hawthorne was previously signed to play college basketball at West Virginia before Darian DeVries left the Mountaineers this offseason to become the head coach at Indiana.
This led Hawthorne, who played prep basketball at Huntington Prep in West Virginia, to reopen his recruitment. He ultimately committed to Pope and the Wildcats from a group of final schools that also included Duke, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Hawthorne is ranked as a four-star prospect by the 247Sports Composite.
Before Hawthorne, the last UK player to wear No. 22 was Amari Williams last season.
Others to wear No. 22 at Kentucky: Cason Wallace, Reid Travis, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Alex Poythress, Patrick Sparks, Ryan Hogan, Truman Claytor, Steve Green, Larry Stamper, Mike Pratt, Gene Stewart, Charles Ishmael, Sid Cohen, Jerry Bird, Ronald Clark, Garland Lewis.
Mouhamed Dioubate — 23
Like Aberdeen, Dioubate also made the decision to transfer within the SEC to Kentucky this offseason.
He previously played two seasons at Alabama, coming off the bench in each of his 70 appearances for the Crimson Tide. Dioubate averaged 7.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in his reserve role last season.
Before Dioubate, the last UK player to wear No. 23 was Jordan Burks.
Others to wear No. 23 at Kentucky: Bryce Hopkins, Isaiah Jackson, E.J. Montgomery, Jamal Murray, Anthony Davis, Jodie Meeks, Sheray Thomas, Derek Anderson, Nehemiah Braddy, Eric Manuel, Roger Harden, Dwight Anderson, Jerry Hale, Roy Roberts, Cliff Barker, Harry Denham, Bruce Davis.
Malachi Moreno — 24
A homegrown high school star, Moreno won the 2025 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award while leading Great Crossing High School in Georgetown to its first Sweet 16 state championship.
Moreno is a five-star recruit in the 2025 class who was also a McDonald’s All-American this year. He was the first high school recruit in the 2025 class to commit to Pope and the Wildcats when he did so in August 2024.
Before Moreno, the last UK player to wear No. 24 was Chris Livingston.
Others to wear No. 24 at Kentucky: E.J. Floreal, Eric Bledsoe, Kelenna Azubuike, Marvin Stone, Antoine Walker, Jamal Mashburn, Bret Bearup, Brad Lawless, Mike Flynn, Larry Miller, Greg Starrick, Bob Tallent, Larry Pursiful, Johnny Cox, Malcolm McMullen.
Reece Potter — 33
Formerly a star high school basketball player at Lexington Catholic, Potter spent the last two seasons playing at Miami (Ohio) before opting to hit the transfer portal this offseason.
Potter played in 56 combined games over the last two seasons for the RedHawks. Last season, Potter played in 30 games off the bench and averaged 6.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 17.1 minutes per game.
During his prep career, Potter was a finalist for the 2023 Kentucky Mr. Basketball award after being named the 11th Region’s player of the year as a high school senior. He was also the 2023 Lexington Player of the Year, as named by the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com.
Before Potter, the last UK player to wear No. 33 was Ugonna Onyenso.
Others to wear No. 33 at Kentucky: Ben Jordan, Kyle Wiltjer, Daniel Orton, Randolph Morris, Antwain Barbour, Cory Sears, Michael Bradley, Ron Mercer, Johnathon Davis, Tom Heitz, Pat Doyle, Harold Ross, Linville Puckett, Charles Keller.
