Mark Pope, Kentucky’s new basketball coach, is making waves in the transfer portal, with significant commitments coming in. On Wednesday, Pope secured commitments from Kerr Kriisa, a guard from West Virginia, and Koby Brea from Dayton, known for his impressive three-point shooting skills. Brea topped Division I last season with an incredible 49.8% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 100 of his 201 attempts.
These additions bring Pope’s total transfer haul to six players this offseason. The news of Brea’s commitment came just a day after Kentucky landed Oklahoma State’s Brandon Garrison, who CBS Sports’ David Cobb ranked as the 24th best player in the transfer portal.
Last weekend, the Wildcats also picked up Oklahoma’s Otega Oweh and Wake Forest’s Andrew Carr. And just last week, Lamont Butler, the star guard from San Diego State, signed on for the 2024-25 season. Butler, known for his defense, won the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023-24. Earlier in the month, Amari Williams from Drexel, another standout defender, also committed to Kentucky. He is a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year.
Collin Chandler, who had previously committed to BYU, switched his allegiance to Kentucky after completing a two-year Mormon mission. Chandler, rated as Pope’s highest recruit during his time at BYU, ranked No. 33 overall in the 2022 class.
With star freshman Reed Sheppard heading to the NBA Draft and Joey Hart transferring to Ball State, Kentucky has no returning scholarship players. Compounding the roster challenge, four-star guard Billy Richmond decommitted after Chandler’s commitment, which followed the departure of coach John Calipari to Arkansas. Consequently, four of Kentucky’s top 50 recruits for the 2024 class have also reopened their commitments, leaving Travis Perry as the only one still on board.
Mark Pope, who played for Kentucky under Rick Pitino from 1994 to 1996 and was part of the 1996 championship team, has a major task ahead of him. With most of the 2023-24 roster either out of eligibility, transferring, or heading to the NBA Draft, his priority is building a competitive team for the upcoming season.
CBS Sports is keeping track of Kentucky’s roster and recruiting class, providing real-time updates. Pope’s recent signings, such as Amari Williams and Lamont Butler, are set to make a significant impact. Williams, with 79 career starts and averaging at least 1.8 blocks per game over the last three seasons, will be a defensive force. Similarly, Butler, famous for his game-winning shot in the 2023 Final Four, adds proven experience and solid defense.
Otega Oweh, who started 28 games for Oklahoma last season, brings versatility and scoring ability, with a career-high average of 11.4 points per game. The combined defensive skills of Williams, Butler, and Oweh could transform Kentucky’s defense, which struggled last season, allowing an average of 79.7 points per game, one of the worst among Power Six programs.
