Kentucky Lands Seasoned Veteran Franck Kepnang as Waiver Decision Looms

The Wildcats have added to its frontcourt pending a decision from the NCAA

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang (11) shoots a free throw during the first half against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

The Kentucky basketball program is beefing up its frontcourt after landing Washington transfer Franck Kepnang over the weekend, but it comes with a stipulation.

Should he play with the Wildcats, Kepnang would be entering his seventh season of college basketball as he is searching for a waiver. The 6-foot-11 center started his career in 2020-21 with Oregon and earned a free COVID year, which all players in the country did.

He remained with the Ducks for one more season before transferring to Washington where he struggled with injuries. He played just eight games in the 2022-23 season and ten games in 2023-24, both which qualify for redshirt years.

In 2024-25, he only played 14 games but responded to play 27 games – starting 25 – this season in which he averaged 6.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.

There is an expectation that Franck Kepnang will receive his waiver from the NCAA and be eligible to play for Kentucky this upcoming season.

Coming out of high school he was a 4-star prosect and the No. 48 player in the country, according to 247Sports, which included Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, and Jalen Johnson.

It’s a frontcourt that is slowly coming together for head coach Mark Pope as he landed international prospect Ousmane N’Diaye earlier in the offseason while the hope is Malachi Moreno will withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to the program for his sophomore season.

Kentucky has also landed Washington point guard Zoom Diallo in the transfer portal as well as Furman’s Alex Wilkins, James Madison’s Justin McBride, and Washington State’s Jerone Morton.

The Wildcats will return Kam Williams, Trent Noah, Braydon Hawthorne, and Reece Potter from last year’s team and the expectation is that Pope and his coaching staff will be very aggressive in pursuing players who withdraw from the NBA Draft that have entered the transfer portal.