It appears Kentucky Basketball will be looking at another option for its 15th and final roster spot.
Joe Tipton and Pete Nakos of On3 reported Wednesday that there is a frontrunner for Michigan State transfer forward Jaxon Kohler, with BYU appearing to be the likely landing spot.
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The 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward has spent all four years of his collegiate career with the Spartans and is now fighting to get a fifth season. This past season, Kohler averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He also shot 38.9% from deep on 4.3 attempts per game.
This isn’t necessarily bad news for Kentucky, as the Wildcats are looking at several other options, including Minnesota transfer Cade Tyson, Missouri transfer Mark Mitchell, and Auburn transfer Keyshawn Hall. Of those options, it appears Mitchell could be the main priority.
Mitchell, a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward, just finished his senior season at Missouri, where he averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while shooting 54.7% from the field and 38.8% from the 3-point line on 1.5 attempts per game.
His performances against Kentucky this past season also showed why he could be an attractive option for Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
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Mitchell scored 21 points, four assists and one rebound in Missouri’s 73-68 upset of Kentucky inside Rupp Arena. He shot 7-for-15 from the field in the victory.
Kentucky got its revenge in the SEC Tournament, but Mitchell nearly helped Missouri pull off another upset. He exploded for 32 points, seven rebounds and one assist while shooting 13-for-21 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
While it is not yet official that all of these players will receive a fifth year of eligibility, the possibility appears increasingly likely, which could give Kentucky several options as it looks to fill its final roster spot.
