Franck Kepnang is a perfect fit for what Kentucky needs in a backup center

Mark Pope made a really good addition at the backup center position.

Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang (11) walks off the court with teammates after a win in the Acrisure Series in Palm Desert, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025. | Andy Abeyta/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats made a very important addition to the roster this weekend as they added former Washington center Franck Kepnang. The 6’11 center will need a waiver for another year of college hoops, but all signs point to this not being an issue.

Last season for the Huskies, Kepnang averaged 6.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. He spent some time at Oregon before transferring to Washington, but Kepnang has had an injury-riddled career in college hoops. Over his six seasons in college hoops, he has only played in 111 games, which shows how injuries have kept him off the floor.

Assuming Malachi Moreno does pull out of the NBA Draft and is back in Lexington, Kepnang will be backing him up, and I think the veteran center is a perfect fit for this role. Kepnang is a 6’11 253-pound center, and he plays with a ton of physicality, so I don’t believe the transition to the SEC will be any kind of challenge for the veteran.

Jan 31, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang (11) defends Northwestern Wildcats guard Max Green (10) during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Players who are going to come in and execute their roles at a high level are the perfect players to come off of the bench for a team, and when healthy over his long career, Kepnang has proven to be that guy. Another positive thing about the addition of Kepnang is the fact that he obviously has spent the last couple of seasons playing with Kentucky’s new point guard, Zoom Diallo.

When these two are on the floor together, it will help them be able to have an elite connection that they have built over their last two seasons playing for the Huskies. Personally, when it comes to defense, rebounding, and physicality, Brandon Garrison just didn’t bring enough last season and that won't be a concern with Kepnang.

Feb 7, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang (11), forward Bryson Tucker (8) and UCLA Bruins forward Xavier Booker (1) and guard Brandon Williams (5) go for a rebound in the first half at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Is Kepnang going to be one of the best centers in the SEC next season? No, he will not, but he is going to come in and play his role in about 15-20 minutes per game at a very high level. Rebounding and physicality were issues last year down low for the Wildcats, and when the Washington transfer Kepnang is in the game, that won’t be the case next season.

As long as Moreno is back in the blue and white next season, I believe that he and Kepnang will be a really solid one-two punch down low for Coach Pope.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and YouTube for the latest news.