Kentucky Coach Mark Pope has his eye on a 20ppg scorer in the transfer portal

Mark Pope is going to take a hard look at this guard in the transfer portal.

Dec 13, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Central Arkansas Bears guard Camren Hunter (1) dribbles the ball past Vanderbilt Commodores guard Tyler Tanner (3) during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

We are inching closer to the transfer portal opening, as it will open on April 7th. Knowing the Wildcats only have one player committed in the 2026 class, most of the new additions to the 2026-27 roster will come from the transfer portal unless Kentucky lands either Tyran Stokes or Dink Pate.

One player that the coaching staff needs to take a look at when the portal opens is Camren Hunter from Central Arkansas. Last season, the 6’3 guard averaged 21 points per game, which was good for 17th best in college hoops. He also added 4.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game to the stat sheet while shooting 50.6% from the field and 36.9% from three.

Nov 11, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; UCA Bears guard Camren Hunter (1) leads a fast break as Arkansas Razorbacks guard D.J. Wagner (21) and forward Nick Pringle (23) look on during the second half at Bud Walton Arena. Arkansas won 93-56. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

One of Hunter’s most impressive performances came in his final game of this season in the ASUN Championship Game against Queens. The Bears of Central Arkansas lost this game 98-93, but Hunter did all he could. Hunter scored 49 points in this game, but his explosion just wasn’t enough to lead the Bears to the NCAA Tournament.

Hunter’s offensive rating, analytically, is elite at 3.91 on EvanMiya.com and his defensive rating is a 0.43, which, for an offensive weapon like him, is not terrible. Many of the other players Kentucky will look at that have already declared for the portal have a defensive rating that is negative, so a 0.43 from Hunter isn’t awful.

When it comes down to it, at the end of the day, some players are truly just bucket getters while others are not, and Hunter is a bucket getter. I expect a phone call to Hunter to be one of the first Pope makes when the portal opens, as the Wildcats are looking for a new superstar guard with Denzel Aberdeen, Otega Oweh, and Jaland Lowe gone.

Camren Hunter goes OFF for Central Arkansas against Queens (NC) 👀👀

31 points
12-18 FG
4-6 3PT

What do we think of his game 🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/iZFsXWuFJV

— The Portal Report (@ThePortalReport) January 29, 2026

Hunter has proven over multiple seasons that he is an elite scorer, and he can score from all over the floor. This is a big reason why I expect him to be a target for Pope. He is a player who can come up big in important games, and with Oweh gone, the Wildcats will need that.

A lot of Kentucky fans might be annoyed about the Wildcats being associated with so many mid-major players, but this kid is going to be a stud next season, and I am hoping that is in Lexington. Remember the name Camren Hunter when the transfer portal opens in less than a week.