The college basketball transfer portal was supposed to be finished producing major roster changes. Kentucky may have just been handed an opportunity to make one more enormous addition.
A preliminary injunction granted by a U.S. District Court judge in Colorado gave athletes from the 2022 high school class a fifth season of eligibility. Subsequent clarification complicated matters by preserving transfer portal deadlines, roster limits and revenue-sharing caps, but several notable players who entered the portal earlier in the offseason are once again available.
Two of the best are firmly on Kentucky’s radar.
In his ranking of the top 10 available transfers for The Athletic, Brendan Marks identified former Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall as arguably the most productive player on the market. He also called former Minnesota wing Cade Tyson the best shooter still available.
Kentucky is reportedly involved with both.
Keyshawn Hall could completely change Kentucky’s frontcourt
Hall would be the bigger prize from a pure production standpoint.
The 6-foot-7, 250-pound forward averaged 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists at Auburn last season. He also shot 37.9 percent from beyond the arc and 85.7 percent at the free-throw line.
That is a rare offensive package for a player with Hall’s size.
Hall can punish smaller defenders around the basket, rebound in traffic and step outside to stretch the floor. He would give Mark Pope another proven scoring option who could operate from several different areas rather than being confined to a traditional frontcourt role.
Kentucky will have serious competition. Marks reported that LSU, St. John’s and Indiana are also among the programs pursuing Hall.
Still, the Wildcats can offer Hall an immediate role on a national contender and a system that values skilled big men who can shoot, pass and make quick decisions. That makes Lexington one of the most natural possible destinations for him.
Cade Tyson would give Mark Pope another elite shooter
Tyson represents a different kind of roster upgrade.
The 6-foot-7 wing averaged 19.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists at Minnesota while shooting 41.3 percent from 3-point range. According to the CBB Analytics data cited by Marks, Tyson was one of only 28 high-major players to shoot at least 40 percent from deep while attempting five or more 3-pointers per game.
Kentucky already has players capable of creating offense, but adding Tyson would make it significantly more difficult for opponents to help defensively or pack the paint.
Pope’s offense is at its best when multiple players can shoot and keep the ball moving. Tyson’s combination of size, movement shooting and proven production would fit that identity almost perfectly.
There are reasonable questions about how Tyson would adjust after serving as the focal point of Minnesota’s offense. He would not necessarily receive the same volume of shots at Kentucky. However, playing beside better creators could also produce cleaner looks and prevent defenses from loading up against him.
Kentucky does not need both to become a major winner
Landing Hall and Tyson would be an outrageous late-offseason haul, but Kentucky does not need to sign both for this unexpected eligibility development to become a major victory.
Hall would give the Wildcats more physicality, rebounding and interior scoring. Tyson would provide one of the best floor-spacing threats in college basketball. Either player could become a starter and one of Kentucky’s most important offensive pieces.
The timing makes the opportunity even more valuable. Most high-level players have already committed, and most teams have finalized their rosters. Suddenly, Pope has a chance to add a proven high-major scorer in August.
College basketball’s eligibility rules have become nearly impossible to follow, and more legal challenges could produce additional movement. For Kentucky, however, the immediate situation is simple.
Two of the best players unexpectedly available could fill meaningful roles in Lexington. If Pope closes the deal with either one, an already dangerous Kentucky roster will become considerably harder to handle.
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