Building viable rosters through the transfer portal has suddenly become the way to build a winner, even if it isn’t the most sustainable practice. For Kentucky, we’re beyond those days when John Calipari would bring in multiple blue chip prospects, with Mark Pope instead building with this portal year in and year out. After a number of Wildcats found homes at new schools this offseason, Kentucky finally grabbed another notable name in Alex Wilkins.
A 6-5 guard originally from Mattapan, Massachusetts, Wilkins starred as a freshman this past season at Furman, developing into one of the best young guards not only in the Southern Conference but at the mid-major level. He has just that lone year of collegiate experience and is about to make a major jump into the SEC, but Wilkins showcased the talent and potential to shine on the brighter stage.
BREAKING: Furman transfer guard Alex Wilkins has committed to Kentucky, @JoeTipton reports😼https://t.co/XeQf2I1IDH pic.twitter.com/YKKZcxRwFn
— On3 (@On3) April 18, 2026
Kentucky lands Furman transfer Alex Wilkins
A starter right from the jump in his time with the Paladins, Wilkins averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 assists as one of the most productive players in the Southern Conference. He led the conference in assists, was second in total points, and earned both Second Team All-SoCon honors and the league’s Tournament MVP award as well. Wilkins put up a ton of shots and was a highly productive guard on the offensive end as a true freshman.
Wilkins had a few early 20-point games that got his career on the right start and flirted with a double-double several times too, finishing twice with a career-high 9 assists in games. He spread the ball around and also put it in the hoop, leading the SoCon in made field goals. He saved his best for the most important part of the season, including a season-high 34-point showing against UNC Greensboro in the semifinals of the SoCon Tournament. Less than two weeks later he proved his value with a valiant 21-point effort in a losing effort to UConn in the Big Dance.
Raw scoring ability is one thing but let’s not pretend like Wilkins is the perfect guard. He was among the national leaders in turnovers and is still growing as a ball distributor. There’ll be even more challenges for him at Kentucky as SEC defenses are significantly tougher than those he saw this past year. Regardless, Wilkins showed that he’s not afraid of that bigger stage against UConn and has the raw talent to be an important piece in Kentucky’s backcourt.
As we hinted at earlier, Kentucky has been hemorrhaging players in the portal but finally add a second new piece to the transfer class. Wilkins joins former Washington point guard Zoom Diallo as key pieces in an impressive new-look backcourt, though Pope and his staff are far from finished this offseason. If Kentucky wants to be a real contender then there’s more to come in the weeks ahead, but they grabbed a great raw shooter in Wilkins who could develop into a star in the years ahead.
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