Former Kentucky transfer recruits Eric Reibe and Leroy Blyden announce decisions

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UConn Huskies center Eric Reibe (12) dunks the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the first half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Former UConn big man and Kentucky Basketball transfer portal target Eric Reibe announced his commitment to USC on Monday.

The 7-foot-1 former McDonald’s All-American received some interest from Kentucky when he entered the portal, but things never really materialized beyond that initial interest. He was also someone Mark Pope heavily recruited in high school before Reibe signed with UConn.

The native of Germany played well as a backup center for the Huskies, averaging just under 6 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds per game while playing just under 14 minutes per game.

Reibe will likely be a big piece for the USC Trojans and Eric Musselman, who is heading into a crucial year 3 in Southern California. The Trojans have finished 12th in the Big Ten in back-to-back seasons, failing to make the NCAA Tournament in Musselman’s first two years at the helm.

It seems like things cooled between Kentucky and Reibe with each exploring different options, so this is hardly a miss when it comes to Kentucky’s recruiting efforts in the transfer portal.

Another former Kentucky transfer target has announced his plans for next season.

Toledo guard Leroy Blyden Jr. announced on Monday that he will play at Kansas next season.

This was another situation where Kentucky showed some initial interest, but the recruitment never really took off. Kentucky held a Zoom meeting with Blyden shortly after he entered the portal, but it appeared he became a backup plan in case the Wildcats missed on Alex Wilkins and/or .