Kentucky Basketball has made a polarizing addition to its 2026-27 roster, announcing that Washington Huskies center Franck Kepnang has signed with the program.
A 6-foot-11, 253-pound native of Cameroon, Kepnang is not yet eligible for next season, as he’s been in college since the 2020-21 season while at Oregon and was briefly recruited out of high school by Kentucky when John Calipari was running the show.
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However, Kepnang has had several seasons wiped out by injury, as he appeared in just eight games in 2022-23, 10 in 2023-24, and 14 in 2024-25, so the hope is he’ll earn multiple medical redshirts to get one more season of eligibility.
This past season with the Huskies, Kepnang appeared in 27 games while averaging 6.2 points (51.5% shooting), 6.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 22.9 minutes per game. In a November win over Nevada, he went for 15 points (6/6 shooting), five rebounds, four blocks, and one steal in 23 minutes of play. He also went for a double-double of 10 points and 10 boards with two steals across 27 minutes in an eight-point road loss to Purdue.
This move has come virtually out of nowhere, as there were reports that Kentucky had shown some level of interest in Kepnang, but nothing to suggest a commitment was on the table, as Mark Pope has pulled another rabbit out of his hat.
On the surface, this looks like a low-risk move that could prove fruitful if Kepnang is able to get eligible next season. There’s also the benefit of him already having chemistry with new Kentucky point guard Zoom Diallo, as the two spent the last two seasons with the Huskies.
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This does raise the question as to whether Pope and his staff now think there’s a real chance Malachi Moreno stays in the NBA Draft. More than likely, they see Kepnang as a potentially solid backup and will pursue other centers if Moreno does stay in the draft.
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