With Jaxon Kohler in the portal will Kentucky pursue him or stick with Mark Mitchell?

A wild few days in college basketball have continued as a TRO in California has granted 73 college athletes the ability to hit the transfer portal and get their fifth year of eligibility. One of the players who received this TRO is former Michigan State power forward Jaxon Kohler, and he just put his name in the transfer portal. When all of this craziness started, Kohler was a name associated with Kentucky, but then things started to cool off.

Kohler seemed BYU-bound, and perhaps that is still the case for the former Spartan, but maybe, knowing that he is eligible as of now and able to hit the portal, the Wildcats will put their name back in the running. A lot of eyes in Lexington are on Mark Mitchell, the Missouri transfer who is looking for the same news Kohler got today but from the Kentucky court.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers forward Mark Mitchell (25) reacts after a three point shot play during the second half against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The easiest situation for the Wildcats would be for Mitchell to be able to hit the portal this weekend and immediately pick Kentucky. One would imagine that if Kohler was able to get eligibility, so would Mitchell, but Big Blue Nation will have to wait until later in the week to get clarity on the judge's decision.

When it comes to play on the floor, both Kohler and Mitchell would be a massive addition to this Kentucky team. Kohler would be a bigger help on the glass, as he averaged 8.9 rebounds per game last season in the Big Ten. Mitchell averaged over 18 points per game last season, so he makes more sense on offensive end of the floor.

Mar 13, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his team against the Florida Gators during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I do think the staff sees Mitchell as the guy who they are going to make a big push after as soon as he is given the same eligibility and transfer portal status as Kohler, but I don’t hate the idea of giving Kohler a phone call. During Pope’s time at Kentucky, when he puts all of his eggs in one basket, things haven’t gone well, so giving Kohler a phone call would be smart.

Hopefully this situation will be resolved by the end of this week and Pope is able to land another players to the 2026-27 Kentucky roster. Either Mitchell or Kohler would make the Wildcats a national championship contender this season, but right now Mitchell feels like the more realistic candidate. If Pope contacts Kohler, this could spice things up, but I still lean Mitchell.

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