Kentucky’s run at five-star center Lewis Uvwo has come up short, with the elite 2027 big man choosing Providence instead.
Uvwo, a seven-foot center ranked No. 7 in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, had been a major priority for Mark Pope and the Wildcats. Kentucky hosted him in Lexington just a few weeks ago, and when that visit ended, Big Blue Nation had reason to feel optimistic about where things stood. Instead, Uvwo announced his commitment to Bryan Hodgson and the Providence Friars, giving Hodgson a major win in his first year on the job.
The miss stings because Uvwo is viewed as a defensive star in the making, and Kentucky had clearly invested real energy in him. But the Wildcats may not be out of the picture at center in this class just yet.
Sherif Millogo remains very much in play for Kentucky, and he brings a different kind of appeal. The 7-foot-5 center can shoot, pass and handle the ball, while also bringing physicality inside, the ability to finish around the rim and shot-blocking presence. As the recruitment of Uvwo tightened up with Providence, Kentucky’s pursuit of Millogo heated up as well.
Joe Tipton of On3 has already logged a crystal ball for the Wildcats to land Millogo, who the reporting described as having some of the best upside in the 2027 class. Kentucky still has to close the deal, but landing Millogo would go a long way toward softening the blow of missing on Uvwo.
More commitments are expected this week, and Kentucky is set to be involved with some of them. Even so, the expectation here is that the Wildcats won’t land those particular targets.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the bigger picture has changed. For Pope and his staff, the 2027 class still has plenty of talent left on the board, and the loss to Providence doesn’t close the door on a strong finish.
For frustrated Kentucky fans, the message is simple: keep watching this class develop. There’s still time for the Wildcats to make this work.
In Other News...
Kentucky Could Get A Huge Defensive Boost At Tennessee
A key piece of Kentuckys defense appears set to come back at just the right time. Linebacker Sam Greene, who has been one of the Wildcats more important defensive players, is expected to return for the Nov. 7 trip to Tennessee after sitting out the previous game with a left knee injury.
Will Stein confirmed Greenes progress and said the expectation is that he will be fully available in Knoxville. For a Kentucky defense heading into an ESPN game on the road, getting Greene back adds both experience and stability to a matchup that already figures to carry plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Has A Real Shot At A Massive In-State Recruiting Win
Kentucky still has work to do in the 2028 race, but the Wildcats have positioned themselves as a legitimate player for Kellan Hall, the No. 1 overall prospect in the class. The in-state standout has trimmed his list to 12 finalists and is headed toward a decision that should draw plenty of attention, with his announcement set for the Under Armour All-American Game on Jan. 3.
Hall is also keeping the door open with a round of additional visits, including trips to Notre Dame, Tennessee and Ohio State. Recent stops at Kentucky and Georgia are part of the picture as well, and those visits, along with his recent performances, could end up shaping the final call in what looks like a wide-open finish. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Playoff Path Suddenly Looks Vulnerable In Crowded SEC Race
The SEC race is already turning into the kind of year where one late stumble could rewrite everything, and Joel Klatts latest playoff read only adds to the noise around Kentuckys path. On FOX Sports, he floated the idea that a team like LSU could still land in the 2026 College Football Playoff with three losses, pointing to a league where several teams could finish 9-3 and leave the committee sorting through a crowded field rather than a clean hierarchy.
For Kentucky, that kind of scenario makes every conference game feel even heavier, because the Wildcats are not just chasing wins, they are trying to avoid getting buried by timing and tiebreakers in a race full of direct comparisons. Klatts projection had LSU beating Alabama and Tennessee in November while Kentucky dropped two games, a combination that would tilt the conversation toward Baton Rouge if the committee ends up weighing head-to-head results and who finishes hottest at the right moment. [Read more 🡒]