Mark Pope has reached out to a former five-star recruit in the transfer portal

Kentucky is looking to add a guard who played for Rick Pitino last season.

Jan 17, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Joson Sanon (3) reacts to a three pointer against the Villanova Wildcats during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Mark Pope has already landed two guards in the transfer portal as Washington’s Zoom Diallo and Furman’s Alex Wilkins have committed to Kentucky. These were two really solid additions by the staff, but Pope still needs to add more depth to the backcourt. Kentucky has lost Jaland Lowe, Otega Oweh, Denzel Aberdeen, Jasper Johnson, and Collin Chandler from last year's team, so there is a ton to add.

The staff has reached out to a new target in the transfer portal, and it is former St. John’s guard Joson Sanon, who averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game for the Red Storm. Sanon shot 33.8% from the field and 33.6% from three in about 21 minutes per game this year. The sophomore guard was a five-star in the 2024 class.

Joson Sanon brings much-needed shot-making prowess to St. John's, days after an NCAA Tournament exit at the hands of No. 10 seed Arkansas in a 2/22 3-point shooting performance. The 19-year old wing is a dynamic off the dribble shooter. https://t.co/i4EMWSrXdQ pic.twitter.com/7GqcNeMWs3

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) March 26, 2025

The 6’5 guard just played his sophomore season for Coach Pitino, but prior to transferring to St. John’s, Sanon started his career at Arizona State. As a freshman playing for the Sun Devils, Sanon averaged 11.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and one assist per game. He shot 42.2% from the field and 36.9% from three in the Big 12. Sanon played 29 minutes per game as a freshman for Arizona State, so he has played a large role in a power conference before, and frankly, his role last season at St. John’s wasn’t small.

Kentucky isn’t the only school to have reached out to Sanon, according to Sam Kayser, as some other big names like North Carolina, Kansas, UCLA, and Texas Tech have reached out to the 6’5 guard.

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard Joson Sanon (3) controls the ball against Northern Iowa Panthers forward Leon Bond III (35) in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

It is clear that he didn’t put up very efficient numbers this season for Pitino and the Red Storm, but he has proven that he is capable of doing it. Perhaps a change of scenery could be good for Sanon as he looks to improve his stats next season. Sanon would be a good fit at Kentucky because, while he didn’t have an elite year from deep, he can shoot the three, and he would be a good guard to come off the bench for Pope.

With such a long list of schools that have reached out to Sanon, it seems we are a long way from him making any kind of decision, so the staff needs to see if they can get him on campus for a visit. Some Kentucky fans may look at his numbers and not be all that excited, but this kid is capable of putting up better numbers in the Pope offense. Kentucky needs guard depth, and Sanon would be a good player to provide this for Pope and the Wildcats.