A face familiar to Big Blue Nation could be a target for Mark Pope in the transfer portal

Mark Pope needs to go after this guard in the transfer portal.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) dribbles the ball against Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky coaching staff are getting ready to try to reload the roster for the 2026-27 season, and a good chunk of this will need to be done in the transfer portal. The Wildcats don’t have any commits in the 2026 class, and with Jason Hart out the door, it is hard to see Kentucky landing Tyran Stokes. Hart’s departure will also make it tough to land G-League guard Dink Pate.

All of this means that the only real avenue for Coach Pope to improve this roster will be to hit the transfer portal incredibly hard. With Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh out of eligibility, one place where Kentucky will have to reload is at the guard position.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) warms up before a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

One guard just announced that he plans to enter the portal when it opens on the 7th, and this player could be a perfect fit at Kentucky. This player is also a familiar face for Kentucky fans as he played for Santa Clara last season, so just under a week ago, he took on the Wildcats.

The player I am referring to is Christian Hammond, who was the leading scorer for the Santa Clara Broncos, and his incredible season earned him First Team All-WCC honors. Hammond averaged 15.6 points, three rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. The sophomore guard shot 48.4% from the field and 39% from three.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Santa Clara Broncos guard Christian Hammond (1) walks onto the court before a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Hammond definitely didn’t have his best showing against the Wildcats on Thursday last week, but he is a player who will be a starting guard at a good school next year, and Coach Pope needs to do everything in his power to make that Kentucky. The other reason it would be great for Pope to land Hammond is that he has multiple years of eligibility left. He is a player who could man the backcourt in Lexington for multiple years.

Ahead of the Wildcats matchup with Santa Clara, I watched a ton of film on the Broncos to be able to break down the game, and Hammond was as advertised on film. He can score all over the floor, and he would be a great two in the Pope system. Hammond is a player who will be pursued heavily by many elite teams in the nation, so it will probably cost a lot to land this elite guard, but it will be worth the investment. This is a name for Kentucky fans to pay attention to.