New Kentucky coach Mark Pope landed his second transfer portal commitment of the offseason on Friday when San Diego State star guard Lamont Butler committed to the Wildcats. The 2023-24 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year averaged 9.3 points this past season for the Aztecs.
Butler is the second transfer portal commitment Pope has landed this month. Last weekend, Drexel star forward Amari Williams committed to the Wildcats. Williams, a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year, was the second newcomer UK landed since Pope’s arrival after Collin Chandler flipped his commitment from BYU to Kentucky.
Chandler, a member of the 2022 recruiting cycle, spent the last two years on a Mormon mission. He was Pope’s highest-rated signee (No. 33 overall) during his tenure at BYU.
With Kentucky star freshman Reed Sheppard declaring for the NBA Draft and Joey Hart transferring to Ball State, the Wildcats have zero returning scholarship players remaining.
Four-star guard Billy Richmond decommitted from the Wildcats’ once-heralded recruiting class a few hours after Chandler committed to the Wildcats. Chandler’s commitment comes after several members of UK’s 2024 recruiting class re-opened their recruitments following the departure of coach John Calipari for Arkansas. Travis Perry remains committed to UK, but four top 50 prospects formerly pledged to the Wildcats are now on track to play elsewhere next season.
Pope, who spent the past five seasons as BYU’s coach, played at UK under Rick Pitino from 1994 to 1996 and was a key part of the program’s 1996 national title run. With most of Kentucky’s 2023-24 roster either out of eligibility, in the transfer portal, or headed to the NBA Draft, his first order of business is building a roster for next season.
CBS Sports is tracking the status of the Kentucky roster and recruiting class in real time. Here’s where every current UK player and commit currently stand.
Incoming transfers
Amari Williams (Transfer from Drexel)
GP: 32 | GS: 32 | PPG: 12.2 | RPG: 7.8
The three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year is a valuable addition for Kentucky. Williams brings experience (79 career starts) and will be one of the best defensive players in the SEC from Day 1. Williams has averaged at least 1.8 blocks per game during the last three seasons. Williams shot 51.7% from the floor on 8.4 attempts per game during the 2023-24…
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