Either Keyshawn Hall or Jaxon Kohler makes Kentucky a true national championship contender

The upcoming college basketball season was given a big shakeup over the weekend as a judge granted an extra year of eligibility to players who graduated high school in 2022 and used all four years of their college eligibility. There are still going to be some hoops for these players to jump through, but there is a real shot these guys are able to play college basketball next year.

Coach Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff were smart as they figured something like this was coming and left a spot on the roster to add a player in this case. The two names that Kentucky is emerging for, according to Jon Rothstein, are Jaxon Kohler, a former Michigan State forward, and Keyshawn Hall, a former Auburn wing.

Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts after getting fouled by Connecticut guard Solo Ball (1) during the second half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. Michigan State lost the game 67-63. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Kohler averaged 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game for Tom Izzo and the Spartans. He also shot a very impressive 38.9% from three on 4.3 attempts per game, which would make him a really good addition for Pope and the Wildcats. When the Spartans took down Pope and the Wildcats this season, Kohler scored 20 points to go with five rebounds. He was 2-2 from three when Izzo and the Spartans took down Pope and the Wildcats.

Hall had an excellent season in the SEC for the Auburn Tigers, where he averaged 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He shot 37.9% from three on 4.7 attempts per game for the Tigers a year ago. Hall is a player who can score around the rim but is also a really good shooter. The 6’7 wing does have some turnover problems, but at his last two stops the ball is in his hand a whole heck of a lot.

Auburn Tigers forward Keyshawn Hall (7) takes the court as Auburn Tigers take on South Alabama Jaguars during the first round of the National Invitation Tournament at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Either of these players would make the Wildcats a legit national championship contender. Some would argue that they are now, but I don’t agree, knowing there are so many question marks on this roster when it comes to upside. While either Kohler or Hall would be an elite addition for Pope and Kentucky, I would much rather have Kohler.

Hall is a player that is really ball-dependent and knowing there will be a ton of mouths to feed in Lexington, I don’t know how it would work with him. Kohler would be an elite one-two punch with Malachi Moreno. A three, four, five, of Milan Momcilovic, Kohler, and Moreno would be absolutely elite for Pope and the Wildcats. This is something to monitor for BBN over the next few days.

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