Kentucky’s roster picture may have just gotten a lot more interesting.
A judge’s decision over the weekend opened the door for an extra year of eligibility for players who graduated high school in 2022 and used all four years of their college eligibility. There are still hurdles ahead for those players, but the possibility is real enough that programs are moving quickly, and Kentucky is one of them. Mark Pope and his staff left room on the roster for exactly this kind of addition, and according to Jon Rothstein, the Wildcats are emerging for two names: former Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler and former Auburn wing Keyshawn Hall.
Kohler would bring size, production, and shooting. He averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for Tom Izzo and Michigan State, while knocking down 38.9% of his threes on 4.3 attempts per game.
That kind of spacing from a forward is no small thing, and Kentucky already got a firsthand look at it when the Spartans beat Pope’s Wildcats this season. Kohler went for 20 points and five rebounds in that game, and he was 2-2 from deep.
Hall’s case is built on volume and versatility. He put up 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game for Auburn last season, and he shot 37.9% from three on 4.7 attempts per game.
At 6-foot-7, he can finish around the basket and stretch the floor, but the turnover issues are part of the package. He’s been heavily involved at his last two stops, and that usage has come with the ball in his hands a lot.
Either player would move Kentucky into the national championship conversation, though there’s a different view on how far the Wildcats already are. Some would say they’re there now, but not everyone sees it that way because this roster still has plenty of upside questions. Both Kohler and Hall would be major pickups for Pope, but Kohler looks like the cleaner fit.
Hall’s game leans heavily on having the ball, and with so many options in Lexington, it’s fair to wonder how that would function. Kohler, on the other hand, would pair well with Malachi Moreno, and a frontcourt trio of Milan Momcilovic, Kohler, and Moreno would give Kentucky an elite three-four-five combination. For BBN, this is one to keep a close eye on over the next few days.
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Kentucky May Have Found The Forward Its Roster Still Needs
Kentucky is still sorting through the kind of frontcourt help that can make a roster feel complete, and Keyshawn Hall has emerged as a name worth watching. The former Auburn forward has also spent time at UNLV, George Mason and UCF, and his track record suggests a player who has already seen plenty of different systems and roles while continuing to produce at a high level.
Halls appeal is obvious for a program looking to add another proven piece, and Kentucky is reportedly among several schools in the mix. The added wrinkle is that some of those same schools are already on Kentuckys schedule next season, which only makes the recruiting race feel a little more layered as the Wildcats try to figure out whether he can be the forward answer they still need. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Opens Will Stein Era With An Early Fall Camp Concern
Fall camp opens Aug. 6 for Kentucky, and the first preseason look at the Will Stein era comes with a little less full-speed buzz than usual. The Wildcats have loaded up through the portal with 29 transfer additions, but a handful of those newcomers are still working back from injuries and wont be ready when camp begins, alongside a few returning players in the same boat.
Among the group managing rehab are transfers Nic Anderson, Jovontae Barnes and Tegra Tshabola, plus returners Jaden Smith and Sam Greene. Greenes situation is the one Kentucky will keep watching most closely on the defensive side, because Stein has said he expects him to be a factor this season, but the early days of camp will show how quickly the Wildcats can get everyone else back into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Will Stein Sets The Tone As Kentucky Enters A New Era
The first real public tune-up for Kentucky footballs new era came this week in Lexington, where Will Stein and several of his assistants and players met with local media at the teams Media Day before the season opener against Youngstown State. Stein, who took over the program last December, is now the face of a reset that has been months in the making, and this was a chance for everyone around the program to start putting names and voices to the changes.
For Kentucky fans, it is the kind of late-summer checkpoint that says more about direction than depth charts. Steins arrival has already shifted the tone around the program, and the Wildcats are trying to carry that energy into a new season while the schools basketball scene also had its own recent disappointment, with La Familia falling in the title game of The Basketball Tournament. The focus now belongs to football, and the first test is just ahead. [Read more 🡒]