Kentucky Reportedly Reaches Out to Kansas Forward, Former Target, Kentucky Native
Kentucky basketball is still awaiting three fairly massive decisions from players on its 2022-23 roster.
It's unlikely that Oscar Tshiebwe, Chris Livingston and Antonio Reeves all return to school in Lexington next season, but all three decisions don't appear to be clear cut. Kentucky and coach John Calipari went all out to try and land Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson in the portal, but they came up empty.
Now, the Cats have no portal additions, while other teams in the SEC and around the country have loaded up thanks to the over 1,000 players that entered the portal following the season. May 11 is the last day to file paperwork and enter, but it won't be the last day of action.
Needed to add some depth for next season, UK has been quiet in accruing interest in players...until now. Three new targets have reportedly popped up for Calipari and his staff over the last couple of days:
Zuby Ejiofor, Forward, Kansas
Kansas won the Dickinson sweepstakes, but has also seen a couple of forwards hit the road, intending to leave Lawrence. One of those players is young forward Zuby Ejiofor.
A 6-foot-9, 240-pounder out of Garland, Texas, Ejiofor is in the portal after one season with the Jayhawks, in which he played 25 games. In those appearances, he averaged only 5.2 minutes, scoring 1.2 points and adding 1.7 rebounds-per-game.
The interest for the former 4-star prospect is big, as Kentucky is among a boatload of schools that have reached out. Adam Zagoria has since reported that Ejiofor currently has four visits lined up with Villanova, St. John's, TCU and San Diego State.
Multiple reports have also stated that Kentucky's interest in Ejiofor is contingent on whether or not Tshiebwe returns to Lexington for a third season. The Cats weren't in his original recruitment, as he chose Kansas over the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, TCU and Arkansas.
If his transfer recruitment stays idle enough until Tshiebwe's decision, then Ejiofor could become a potential option for the Kentucky frontcourt.
Isaiah Miranda, Center, NC State
Isaiah Miranda was a Kentucky target in the class of 2023, but things never came to fruition, despite the 7-footer taking a visit to Lexington, as he wasn't offered by the Cats.
Eventually, he enrolled early at NC State and joined the Wolfpack, choosing it over UCLA, USC, Louisville and others. It was a big win for NC State at the time, but he never took the floor once becoming eligible in December 2022. Now five months later, his experiment in Raleigh is over.
Now, Kentucky is reportedly interested in Miranda once again, per 247Sports' Travis Branham. UK is one of a handful of programs that have shown early interest and is joined by Villanova, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Georgetown, St. John's, LSU and others.
Miranda was also a 4-star prospect, coming out of Southern California Academy in Castaic, Calif. He has entered the NBA draft while maintain eligibility, though a return to a new school appears to be the likely choice. He could be another big body targeted by Kentucky if Tshiebwe keeps his name in the draft.
Andrew Taylor, Guard, Marshall
It's easier to connect the dots with Andrew Taylor, as the Corbin, Ky. native is reportedly receiving interest from Kentucky and others, per CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.
Aside from the Bluegrass connection, Taylor has become a bonafide scorer for Marshall across his four seasons with the Thundering Herd. In 110 career games in green and white, Taylor averaged 34.5 minutes, scoring 14.6 PPG while adding 5.0 RPG, 4.1 APG and 1.8 steals a night.
He had a breakout 2022-23 season, ranking 24th in the nation with 20.2 PPG on 41.7 percent shooting. He had 14 games with 20 or more points and had just one game all season with less than 10. He shot 36.4 percent from 3-point range and averaged 4.7 rebounds, as well as 4.7 assists.
Taylor wasn't highly recruited coming out of Corbin High School, but the 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard is now receiving interest from the likes of Mississippi State, Indiana, Ole Miss, Auburn, Utah, Michigan, Florida, Kansas State, Xavier, LSU, Memphis, Louisville and more.
Kentucky may have the homegrown advantage, though it does currently appear to be rather deep with guards for the upcoming season. Still, Taylor's veteran scoring prowess is enough to attract the Wildcats as he looks to finish his college career with a new program.
5-star center Flory Bidunga working to schedule Kentucky visit
Kentucky interested in former Texas commit Ron Holland
Former Kentucky point guard Sahvir Wheeler transferring to Washington
Inside Kentucky basketball's somber locker room after NCAA Tourney defeat HERE.
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.
