Kentucky Wildcats News: Kentucky Basketball Roster Watch
TL;DR
Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope is finalizing the roster for the upcoming season, adding players like Alex Wilkins and Jerone Morton. However, the team missed out on several high-profile recruits and transfers.
Key points
- Mark Pope is finalizing the Kentucky basketball roster.
- Kentucky added transfers Alex Wilkins and Jerone Morton.
- The team missed out on high-profile recruits like Tyran Stokes.
Mentioned in this story
Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts against the Santa Clara Broncos during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Despite it being the first week of May, Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope and his staff are still working tirelessly to finish building out their roster for the upcoming season.
Other than incoming freshman Mason Williams, Kentucky has struck out on some big time names like Tyran Stokes along with several coveted players in the transfer portal.
Pope has been able to add Alex Wilkins (Furman), Jerone Morton (Washington State), Justin McBride (James Madison) and Zoom Diallo (Washington) via the portal but only time will tell just how well they will fit into Pope’s system and culture at UK.
As far as returning players, Braydon Hawthorne, Kam Williams, Reece Potter and Trent Noah appear to be sure locks to suit up for the Wildcats this fall with Malachi Moreno likely joining them despite currently testing the NBA waters.
By an unofficial count, that gives Pope a total of 10 players for this upcoming season — leaving quite a bit of work to do considering how far we are into the offseason.
Like Moreno, Milan Momcilovic is testing the NBA waters but is also all over Kentucky’s radar. After a high uptick in efficiency last season (11 PPG to 16 PPG while shooting 50/48/87) it’s clear that the veteran forward would be an excellent addition to the Wildcats but is a bit risky since he could very well remain in the draft.
As for other transfer portal targets, Devin Williams and Joson Sanon are on Kentucky’s list but there hasn’t been much of an update over the last several days.
Pope did fly to Israel to visit with Márcio Santos but like the others, there hasn’t been any update as of late.
Let us know who all you think would be a good fit for this year’s team!
Tweet of the Day
There we go!
Headlines
Kentucky Displays Its Fight But Comeback Falls Short – UK Athletics
Good weekend.
Paolo Banchero unsure of Magic’s title prospects after loss – ESPN
Major collapse.
Four-star WR Ty Johnson narrows list to three schools – KSR
Would be another huge recruiting win.
Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers close out Raptors in Game 7 – ESPN
Another Game 7 finish.
Mingione lays it out for Bat Cats, and they have responded – KSR
Finish strong!
Celtics’ Jaylen Brown rips refs, calls out Embiid for flopping – ESPN
Taking it a bit too far.
Colts owner wants Seth McGowan to prove the doubters wrong – KSR
Love it.
Young goes wire-to-wire for second win in four starts – CBS Sports
He’s on fire right now.
Q&A
Who are the new players added to the Kentucky Wildcats basketball roster?
The new players added include Alex Wilkins, Jerone Morton, Justin McBride, and Zoom Diallo.
What challenges is Mark Pope facing in building the Kentucky basketball roster?
Mark Pope is facing challenges in securing high-profile recruits and has missed out on players like Tyran Stokes.
How does the addition of transfers impact the Kentucky Wildcats for the upcoming season?
The addition of transfers like Wilkins and Morton could significantly influence the team's performance, but their fit within the system remains uncertain.