The transfer portal and recruiting news keeps on coming
Good morning, folks! The countdown to the opening of the transfer portal window continues. We’re now just five days away from all hell officially breaking loose. But that doesn’t mean news isn’t coming out ahead of time — the exact opposite, in fact.
We’ll kick off today’s morning post with another name for Kentucky fans to watch as a potential transfer target. San Francisco 6-foot-6 guard Tyrone Riley IV was the latest name unearthed by KSR’s Jack Pilgrim and Jacob Polacheck to have expected interest from the Wildcats. Named to the 2025-26 All-West Coast Conference Second Team as a sophomore, Riley was also a portal target for head coach Mark Pope last offseason. Riley joins the likes of Butler guard Finley Bizjack, Central Arkansas guard Camren Hunter, and San Diego State guard Miles Byrd as players expected to hear from UK once the portal opens next week.
New potential Kentucky targets are popping up daily. Don’t be surprised if more are on the way. As for the current roster, Jaland Lowe remains the only Wildcat from this past season to announce his intentions to transfer. Over on KSR+, we have insider intel on where Jasper Johnson stands with his stay/go decision. Buckle up, BBN — the fun is only about to begin.
While you’re keeping your head on a swivel, let’s go ahead and dive into the rest of this morning’s news and notes. But first, a word from our terrific sponsor…
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Pope and Co. hit the recruiting trail
All eyes are understandably focused on Tyran Stokes, the top-ranked prospect from 2026 who is considering UK and Kansas (more on him in a moment), but Pope is still making inroads with other elite high school talents. Joined by assistants Cody Fueger and Mikhail McLean, Pope made a trip to check in on five-star 2027 center Obinna Ekezie Jr. earlier this week.
This is notable for a couple of reasons. One, it likely means Fueger and McLean are both returning to Kentucky’s bench as assistants for next season. And two, it means Kentucky continues to prioritize the nation’s No. 2-ranked high school junior, who has been recruited by the ‘Cats for well over a year now.
Bill Self is sticking around at Kansas
The decision by Self to return for another season as Kansas head coach, which he announced last night, could make a real impact on Stokes’ recruitment. It’s been reported that Self’s potential retirement could hurt Kansas’ chances of landing him, while boosting UK’s in the process. There is still no timeline for a decision by Stokes, but it certainly feels like a commitment could pop at any moment. The Wildcats remain in the thick of the race for Stokes — the news with Self didn’t exactly help them, though.
Will Stein added another piece to his already huge staff in Lexington. This time, it was Erynn Love, who will join the program as the Kentucky Football Director of Recruiting. A Knoxville native and Tennessee grad, Love has spent time working at North Carolina and Tulsa. At UK, she’ll work alongside Director of Player Personnel, Jarrett McElwain, in helping coordinate visits and enhance the recruiting experience for visitors.
“We are excited to welcome Erynn to Kentucky,” Stein said in a statement. “She is exactly what we’re looking for in this role. She is smart, energetic and a natural fit for the culture we’re building. She brings a relentless, proactive approach to recruiting and has a genuine passion for connecting with people. That ability shows in the relationships she builds with prospects and their families. We’re excited about the vision and energy she brings to our program.”
While we’re chatting about football, make sure to check out the latest episode of KSR’s 11 Personnel with Nick Roush and Adam Luckett. They talked spring practice standouts, April Fool’s Day pranks, in-fighting at Louisville, recruiting updates, and much more.
Tom Izzo almost went to the NBA
There is a world where Tom Izzo coached the Phoenix Suns for the 2025-26 season. During an interview on “The Dan Patrick Show” earlier this week, the Michigan State head coach revealed that he “talked seriously” about going from the college to pro ranks last offseason. What’s the connection to Phoenix? One of Izzo’s former players at MSU, walk-on Matt Ishbia, is now the owner of the Suns.
Izzo, 71, has spent the last 31 seasons as the head coach of the Spartans, making 28 straight NCAA Tournaments, including a national championship victory in 2000. NBA job openings in Cleveland and Atlanta have intrigued Izzo over the years, but not enough to leave East Lansing. Ishbia instead hired Jordan Ott, a former Michigan State video coordinator who has the Suns on the cusp of making the playoffs.
Tennessee has already landed a portal commit
But the portal doesn’t open until April 7. How could anyone commit, you might ask? When you’re a grad transfer like Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade, the usual portal rules do not apply. As a grad transfer, he was able to enter the portal early, meet with Tennessee earlier this week, and commit to the Volunteers by Wednesday. The 6-foot-6 Lunblade averaged 15.6 points in 34.3 minutes per outing for the Bruins last season on shooting splits of 43.0/40.6/93.4. Rivals ranks him as a top 40 player in the portal.
A new KSR Happy Hour at 4!
It’s Thursday, which means we have another LIVE edition of KSR’s weekly Happy Hour show coming to our YouTube channel around 4:00 p.m. ET! Drew Franklin, Tyler Thompson, and Jack Pilgrim will talk plenty about the basketball transfer portal, along with the usual nonsensical topics you’re used to. We’ll see you then!
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