Projecting how Kentucky's four transfers out will perform at their new schools in 2023-24
The NCAA transfer portal was well utilized once again during the 2023 college basketball offseason, with over 1,500 student-athletes finding a new home ahead of this upcoming college basketball season.
John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats took advantage once again, landing stretch big man Tre Mitchell out of West Virginia - giving this team much needed experience alongside Antonio Reeves, who joined the team via the portal last offseason.
However, the Wildcats also lost four players to the portal, including two players who initially came to Lexington as transfers in, Sahvir Wheeler and CJ Fredrick.
How will these four players fare at their new programs? And will Calipari and Co get a chance to face any of them this upcoming season? Let's take a look:
Sahvir Wheeler, PG, Washington
2023-24 stats: 7.7 points, 5.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 36.6% from deep
Wheeler dealt with injuries last year, appearing in 21 games and making 14 starts while his numbers dropped from the 10.1 points and 6.9 assists he averaged in his first year in Lexington.
Wheeler began his college career in the SEC at Georgia, but now he heads out west to join Mike Hopkins' team at Washington for his final season of eligibility. Hopkins runs a 2-3 zone defense like his mentor, Jim Boeheim, but it hasn't led to much success in Seattle.
Wheeler joins fellow grad transfer Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers) at Washington, a unique pairing that could pan out nicely for the Huskies but has the potential to backfire in a major way as well.
CJ Fredrick, SG, Cincinnati
2023-24 stats: 6.1 points, 1.5 assists, 0.8 rebounds, 31.8% from deep
Fredrick spent two years at Iowa before transferring to Kentucky and sitting out the 2021-22 campaign with an injury. He finally made his long awaited debut with the Wildcats last year and underwhelmed, only averaging six points per game and shooting under 32% from three after shooting 46.6% in two seasons with the Hawkeyes.
Fredrick will be a key piece for Wes Miller's Bearcats alongside portal additions Aziz Bandaogo from Utah Valley and Jamille Reynolds from Temple. Cincinnati will need all the help they can get as they head into the vaunted Big 12 conference, and Fredrick will look to bounce back from his worst collegiate season to end his career on a high note.
Daimion Collins, PF, LSU
2023-24 stats: 1.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, 0.4 blocks, 7.9 minutes per game
Collins was ranked No. 14 in the class of 2021, but after two years buried behind Oscar Tshiebwe, he will head south to LSU to join the Tigers, where he'll face Calipari and Kentucky at least twice per season.
Collins has tremendous untapped potential as a rim runner and lob threat, and LSU's additions of portal guards Jordan Wright (Vanderbilt), Jalen Cook (Tulane), and Carlos Stewart (Santa Clara) could help unlock him for coach Matt McMahon.
The Tigers probably won't make a significant jump in the SEC standings, but the former McDonald's All-American could be a thorn in Kentucky's side for the next two years at LSU.
Lance Ware, PF, Villanova
2023-24 stats: 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 65.8% on two-pointers
Like Collins, Ware is a former highly regarded prospect who never carved out a significant role in Lexington, in part due to Tshiebwe's presence.
Ware was viewed as an emotional team leader despite playing less than 10 minutes per game across his three years with Kentucky, and coach Calipari made it clear they will miss his presence as he heads closer to home to play for coach Kyle Neptune at Villanova.
Nova had a disappointing season last year, thanks to injuries for Cam Whitmore and Justin Moore, but this team is primed to return with a vengeance, and Ware joins a promising portal class that includes TJ Bamba (Washington State) and Hakim Hart (Maryland).
It's possible Ware sneaks into the starting lineup, but even if he doesn't, expect him to play a much bigger role for this Wildcats team, who will have their work cut out for them in a very crowded Big East conference.
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