A new transfer guard target has emerged for Kentucky basketball

Kentucky has contacted Dayton transfer guard De'Shayne Montgomery.

Mar 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Dayton Flyers guard De'shayne Montgomery (2) brings the ball up court against Saint Louis Billikens forward Ishan Sharma (9) during the first half in an Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Semifinal game at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Kentucky is trying to work out its situation in the frontcourt as they look to fill out the starting forward spot along with depth pieces there and at the center position, but depth in the backcourt is also very important. A new name has emerged on Kentucky's target list in the transfer portal. According to KSR, the Kentucky staff has contacted Dayton transfer guard De'Shayne Montgomery.

With the Wildcats already having Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins and Mason Williams as the current backcourt pieces, Montgomery would be an excellent depth piece at shooting guard behind Wilkins. Montgomery is currently ranked 133rd in the transfer portal rankings by 247 Sports, as well as the 24th best shooting guard. At 6-4, the Fort Lauderdale native was one of Dayton's key pieces last season. Averaging 13.4 points per game, Montgomery was one of the team's leading scorers. He shot 49.0% overall and 33.5% from three, adding 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. But, it was his defense that should be noted as one of his strengths, averaging 2.7 steals.

Nov 11, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Dayton Flyers guard De'Shayne Montgomery (2) steals the ball away from Cincinnati Bearcats forward Jalen Celestine (32) in the second half at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Montgomery's best game this past season was a 23-point performance against North Florida, where he shot 9-10 overall and 4-4 from three, adding two rebounds, a block and four steals. Montgomery would be an excellent spark plug for the Wildcats off the bench, especially defensively. It should be worth noting that Louisville and NC State have already hosted the 6-4 guard on a visit. One to Kentucky is certainly a possibility, so fans need to be on the lookout for that in the coming days.

As for other visitors, Kentucky recently hosted JMU transfer forward Justin McBride and USC big man Gabe Dynes on in-person visits, as well as a zoom meeting with 6-10 shot-blocking FAU transfer Devin Williams. They are also set to host Washington State guard Jerone Morton on Friday. It remains to be seen how serious they are with Montgomery, but they sure are growing their list as they look for depth on the roster/