3 possible Kentucky transfers Texas could target
The NCAA Transfer Portal will play a big role in the configuration of Texas basketball's roster in the coming months this offseason. Texas and head coach Rodney Terry have already contacted quite a few potential portal targets during the spring transfer window.
Talented Kentucky transfers could benefit Texas basketball amid the fallout of the John Calipari news
But nothing has come to fruition for Terry and the Longhorns staff as of yet regarding any scheduled visits that have been reported or any portal commitments.
With more players expected to enter the portal following the conclusion of the National Championship Game between Purdue and UConn on April 8, Texas will have more transfers to target in the coming weeks.
The coaching carousel can also impact the transfer market. One good example is the recent departure of longtime Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari late last weekend. The news broke on April 7 that the Arkansas Razorbacks hired Calipari in what has to be the biggest shakeup to the coaching carousel so far this spring.
Calipari's departure likely means heavy roster attrition for the Wildcats this offseason, depending on who the coach is that's hired. Kentucky always recruited at an elite level under Calipari, which could be to the potential benefit of other big programs hunting for impact players in the portal during the spring window.
Here are three possible Kentucky transfers Texas could target this offseason in the wake of the Calipari news at Arkansas.
Aaron Bradshaw, F/C
One of the most talented players on a Kentucky team chocked full of former five-star recruits during the 2023-24 campaign is freshman big man Aaron Bradshaw. The seven-footer and former No. 1 center recruit in the nation in the 2023 class in the 247Sports Composite was on the path to becoming yet another talented one-and-done big man at Kentucky entering this past season.
Unfortunately, though, a foot fracture haulted Bradshaw's progress for his true freshman campaign early in the regular season. Bradshaw missed the first month of the regular season, but returned to the starting lineup in early December.
Bradshaw flashed that five-star talent coming out of high school with two-straight double digit scoring performances for Kentucky in December, including in a win over the North Carolina Tar Heels where he scored a dozen points.
That type of talent and length for the 7-foot and 210-pound Bradshaw is something you can't teach. If Bradshaw could find a school who could develop him for a couple of years to become a more complete two-way big man and a more effective rim protector and rebounder consistently, he could live up to that NBA Draft lottery hype in the near future.
If Texas was to hypothetically pursue Bradshaw (assuming he decided to enter the portal this offseason), he could immediately upgrade the ceiling for the frontcourt rotation. Bradshaw wouldn't get rushed too fast into the starting lineup hypothetically at Texas next season either, with fifth-year senior big man Kadin Shedrick announcing his return to school for the 2024-25 campaign.
Update
Travis Branham of 247Sports reported late in the morning of April 8 that Bradshaw is "expected" to enter the portal.