Kentucky needs a sharpshooter from deep in the transfer portal

Kentucky needs a shooter in the transfer portal.

Mar 21, 2024; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari reacts to a play in / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky basketball coaching staff has been active in the transfer portal, looking to replace some players from last season's team.

Justin Edwards has declared for the NBA Draft, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard will likely follow, Adou Thiero has hit the portal and will test NBA waters, and Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell are out of eligibility, meaning the coaching staff will have a lot of to replace.

Kentucky has six players coming in the 2024 class, and while Billy Richond and Karter Knox can shoot, Boogie Fland and Travis Perry will be the shooters of this group. They are both guards on the smaller side, so the Wildcats need a 6'6+ guard who can shoot the ball.

The coaching staff will likely try and get a taller two guard who can fill the role Reeves is leaving. It will be nearly impossible to get another player like Reeves, but some of the players the staff has reached out to are close.

A great example of a player like this that Kentucky has reached out to in the portal is 6'7 guard Cade Tyson, who shot 46.5% from deep last season on 5.5 attempts per game for Belmont.

With the players we assume will return to Kentucky and the recruiting class coming in, this team will be really athletic and much more physical. It feels like if the staff is able to get an elite shooter to play the two-guard position, this team can be excellent during the 2024-25 season.