Kentucky is heavily pursuing a top transfer big man

Kentucky basketball is heavily involved with St. Mary's forward Paulius Murauskas.

Jan 31, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Saint Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) looks on during a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

We are starting to get a clearer picture of some of Kentucky's most prioritized targets in the transfer portal. While things seem to be moving quickly at the point guard spot, with names like BYU's Rob Wright, Washington's Zoom Diallo and LSU's Dedan Thomas coming up often, things are about to get interesting in the frontcourt.

Kentucky seems to be in heavy pursuit of Donnie Freeman, but there is another target at the four spot who the staff is extremely interested in and that is St. Mary's forward Paulius Murauskas, who is a top 10 player in the portal as well as the No. 1 PF, according to 247 Sports. A 6-8 versatile four man, Murauskas would be a more excellent fit than Freeman when you think about what Mark Pope likes to have at the power forward spot. It will be interesting to see how their pursuit unfolds, but Kentucky has expressed heavy interest in Murauskas early in this portal cycle. After completing a zoom call with him on Thursday, don't be surprised if the staff tries to get him on campus sometime soon.

Murauskas is a very capable shooter from three, but what makes him dangerous is the fact that he has incredible guard-like skills for his size. At 6-8, his versatility would do wonders in a Mark Pope offense that loves to spread the floor. This past season, Pope seemed to overcorrect on the weaknesses of his team in year one in Lexington, but it sounds like he is going back to how he found success in his first season, which is put up points all while doing it with an exciting brand of basketball, headlined by spacing on offense, which of course leads to plenty of scoring opportunities.

Jan 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; St. Mary's Gaels forward Paulius Murauskas (23) controls the ball against the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

At times, with Euro players, the translation of their game to college is always a question, but Murauskas has already proven what he can do in his time at St. Mary's. This past season, the 6-8 forward averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, leading the way to earning All-West Coast Conference honors for his impressive play. Murauskas had 15 games with 20-plus points, even dropping 32 and 15 in one game.

Like plenty of recruitments in the portal, this one could move quickly and so far, Kentucky is very, very interested and they have made that clear. For more information to stay up-to-date on who the Wildcats are targeting, along with developments, check out the transfer portal tracker.