Kentucky guard Lexi Blue intends to enter the transfer portal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Report: Lexi Blue intends to enter the transfer portal after two seasons
- Blue averaged 2.1 points and 10.8 minutes, with 3P% up to 30.2%
- Kentucky adds top-25 freshmen while Blue reportedly plans to transfer
Lexi Blue is looking for a new chapter in her college basketball career.
First reported by On3’s Talia Goodman Tuesday, Blue, a Kentucky sophomore guard, intends to enter the transfer portal after two seasons in Lexington.
Blue herself then took to Instagram to post what appears to be a goodbye message, featuring eight photos of her time at UK with the caption “Thank you, Kentucky!”
Blue, formerly the No. 40 overall prospect in the high school class of 2024, flipped her commitment from Virginia Tech to Kentucky shortly after head coach Kenny Brooks was hired away.
Despite being the program’s highest-ranking signee since former post Tionna Herron, the No. 69 overall recruit in the class of 2022, Blue never found a consistent role during her time as a Wildcat.
This season with Kentucky, Blue averaged 2.1 points, 1.0 rebound, 0.4 assists, 0.1 steals and 0.4 turnovers in 10.8 minutes per game. Though her field-goal percentage remained around 30% this season, her 3-point field-goal percentage increased from 19.2% as a freshman to 30.2% this season.
Her career-best performance came in the program’s 104-46 rout of Monmouth in the second game of the season, during which Blue scored 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, including six 3-pointers. She also tallied a rebound and an assist in 18 minutes of playing time.
Blue played in 28 of UK’s games this season, last appearing in the team’s SEC Tournament quarterfinals loss to South Carolina. She did not see the floor during UK’s three-game journey in the NCAA Tournament, but called the second-weekend berth “amazing.”
“To make it to a Sweet 16 in our second year is absolutely amazing,” Blue said on Saturday after UK’s loss to Texas. “To be in this group and to do it, it’s just amazing. So really, I’m just grateful.”
In two seasons with Kentucky, the 6-foot-2 Blue has averaged just 10.1 minutes across 51 career games. She ends her time with the program having recorded 96 total points, 59 rebounds, 19 assists, six steals, three blocks and 19 turnovers.
When asked about the next steps of her development following the Sweet 16, Blue emphasized the importance of growing her confidence.
“I think for me, just continue to stay confident,” Blue said. “I think that’s the main thing. And I’ve been able to see a lot of great players, amazing seniors. And you look around this locker room and see a bunch of them. So, really, just picking their brain and learning from them.”
In terms of what she’d like people to remember about this year’s Kentucky roster, Blue noted the adversity the team overcame together.
“That we fought. That is something that I really want people to remember,” Blue said. “I mean, obviously, Teonni (Key) got hurt in the middle of the year, we faced a lot of adversity, and to make it to a Sweet 16, and to do that on the road and beat West Virginia, those are three great things. I think just understanding that we fought through adversity, and we fought hard.”
Originally from Orlando, Fla., Blue graduated from Lake Highland Prep, where she helped the team to five consecutive state championships (2020-24). At the time of her high school recruitment, she also held offers from Arizona, Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee, among others.
Blue is the first Kentucky player this offseason to declare her intentions to transfer. Brooks and his staff are bringing in a trio of top-25 prospects and McDonald’s All-Americans in their incoming freshman class, including the talented duo of guards out of elite high school program Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.): 6-foot-1 Savvy Swords and 6-foot Emily McDonald, the latter who won Monday’s McDonald’s All-American Games girls 3-point shooting contest.
