I won’t claim that missing out on Donnie Freeman is a disaster or that it isn’t. Given his long injury history and defensive shortcomings, it’s not hard to convince yourself that him landing with Rick Pitino at St. John’s is fine. The real frustration isn’t about Freeman as a player; it’s about a recruiting process that feels completely broken.
Kentucky’s staff made Freeman their top priority. They brought him to campus and acted as if he was already committed. Because they were so sure they had him, they passed on Sebastian Rancik a player who might have said yes. Now, Kentucky is left scrambling for third or even fourth options.
So who’s still available? Unless a surprise name enters the portal at the last minute, here are the big men Mark Pope might target after losing Freeman.
“Reach” Targets
Three high-level players are still out there, though Kentucky isn’t in a strong position for any of them.
Allen Graves (Santa Clara) and Milan Momcilovic (Iowa State) are talented forwards testing the NBA draft. Their decisions probably won’t come until May, when the draft deadline hits. After missing on Freeman, Kentucky can’t afford to wait a full month for either but their desperation might force them to.
Paulius Murauskas (Saint Mary’s) has talked with UK, but his former coach Randy Bennett is now at Arizona State. Beating that existing connection will be tough. All three would be upgrades over Freeman, in my view, but they’re far from guarantees. That brings us to the more realistic options.
1. Justin McBride (James Madison)
McBride is an intriguing fit for Pope’s system. At 6’7”, he’s an undersized “stretch four” who made big offensive strides this past season. He took 95 three-pointersmore than his previous two seasons combined and hit 38 of them (40%). He also grabbed nearly 6 rebounds per game. His scoring stands out: he posted 11 games with 20+ points, including two 30-point outings. The concerns? His height and whether his shooting numbers might regress. For a ceiling comparison, think of a less physical Mo Dioubate with a better jump shot.
2. Devin Williams (FAU)
If Pope wants a defensive role player, Williams is the answer. He’s a slender 6’10” and needs to add weight for SEC physicality, but his defensive instincts are elite. He averaged 2.6 blocks and 5.2 rebounds in just 23.8 minutes per game one of the best shot-blockers in the country. He doesn’t need the ball to make an impact, offering the kind of off-ball defensive presence high-major teams covet.
3. Taylor Bol Bowen (Alabama)
Bowen is a pure “potential” play. He took a step back statistically last season after a strong sophomore year (when he shot 41.4% from three and averaged 5.2 rebounds). The raw talent is there for him to contribute, but Pope would be betting on a bounce-back season. Worth noting: Pope also pursued Bowen in last year’s portal cycle.
If Kentucky misses on all of the above realistic or not the staff will be forced to look at lower-level players trying to make the jump, or take chances on unproven guys. That’s a dangerous game.
With only three confirmed returnees (Braydon Hawthorne hasn’t officially signed, and Malachi Moreno is testing the NBA), one high school prospect, and one portal addition, Kentucky badly needs bodies.
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