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LEXINGTON — The NCAA transfer portal for men's basketball doesn't officially open until April 7.
But that doesn't prevent players from announcing their intentions beforehand.
Kentucky basketball saw its first departure more than a week before the portal window arrived, as word surfaced March 28 that point guard Jaland Lowe would transfer after just one season with coach Mark Pope's program. Fellow guard Jasper Johnson went portaling April 3; forward Brandon Garrison put his name into the portal the same day.
Other Wildcats could follow.
UK has just two players out of eligibility: senior guards Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh.
Along with Garrison, Johnson and Lowe, nine other underclassmen could put their names into the portal prior to its closing just before the caledar flips to April 22. (Sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance, meanwhile, is expected to enter the NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.)
Keep this page bookmarked throughout the offseason to see which scholarship players Kentucky is adding and losing to the portal.
Brandon Garrison was the third player from UK's 2025-26 to enter the portal, doing so April 3, shortly after Jasper Johnson's announcement.
After Garrison committed to Kentucky in April 2024, big things were expected. He had been a a McDonald's All-American Game selection in 2023. And in his first college season, spent at Oklahoma State, he averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game while making more than half his shots from the field (57.2%; 91 for 159). Additionally, he ranked among the Big 12's leaders in blocks, rejecting more than 1.4 shots per outing.
But Garrison's most consistent trait as a Wildcat was inconsistency.
The Oklahoma native spent the 2024-25 season as Amari Williams' backup at the center spot. Garrison was expected to fill that void in the lineup last season; instead, he was replaced after five games by freshman Malachi Moreno. He remained a reserve for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.
He leaves Kentucky with averages of 5.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game (71 appearances).
Jasper Johnson was Portal Departure No. 2 for Kentucky, with Jonathan Givony of Draft Express reporting April 3 the freshman guard was transferring. Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining.
He had hoped to forgo those seasons; upon his enrollment at UK, Johnson wasn't shy in stating his intention to be a one-and-done NBA draft pick.
But his play never came close to reaching that level. Johnson managed to score 10 or more points only five times in 35 appearances in 2025-26.
A UK legacy as the son of Dennis Johnson (a standout defensive lineman for Kentucky's football program more than two decades ago), Jasper finished his sole season as a Wildcat averaging 4.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
The plan changed.
At the SEC Tournament earlier last month in Nashville, Jaland Lowe told The Courier Journal he intended to be back with the program next season. That didn't happen. Less than a week after Kentucky's season ended in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State, word began circulating that Lowe wouldn't be part of UK's 2026-27 roster.
He played just one season for the Cats.
Lowe appeared in only nine games, as his season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury. He had corrective surgery in January. Lowe averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his limited action.
He joined UK after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Pittsburgh.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball transfer portal updates, Mark Pope roster 2026-27
Continue reading...
But that doesn't prevent players from announcing their intentions beforehand.
Kentucky basketball saw its first departure more than a week before the portal window arrived, as word surfaced March 28 that point guard Jaland Lowe would transfer after just one season with coach Mark Pope's program. Fellow guard Jasper Johnson went portaling April 3; forward Brandon Garrison put his name into the portal the same day.
Other Wildcats could follow.
UK has just two players out of eligibility: senior guards Denzel Aberdeen and Otega Oweh.
Along with Garrison, Johnson and Lowe, nine other underclassmen could put their names into the portal prior to its closing just before the caledar flips to April 22. (Sophomore forward Jayden Quaintance, meanwhile, is expected to enter the NBA draft and forgo his remaining college eligibility.)
Keep this page bookmarked throughout the offseason to see which scholarship players Kentucky is adding and losing to the portal.
Outgoing Kentucky basketball transfers
Brandon Garrison
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Brandon Garrison was the third player from UK's 2025-26 to enter the portal, doing so April 3, shortly after Jasper Johnson's announcement.
After Garrison committed to Kentucky in April 2024, big things were expected. He had been a a McDonald's All-American Game selection in 2023. And in his first college season, spent at Oklahoma State, he averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game while making more than half his shots from the field (57.2%; 91 for 159). Additionally, he ranked among the Big 12's leaders in blocks, rejecting more than 1.4 shots per outing.
But Garrison's most consistent trait as a Wildcat was inconsistency.
The Oklahoma native spent the 2024-25 season as Amari Williams' backup at the center spot. Garrison was expected to fill that void in the lineup last season; instead, he was replaced after five games by freshman Malachi Moreno. He remained a reserve for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.
He leaves Kentucky with averages of 5.3 points, 4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game (71 appearances).
Jasper Johnson
You must be registered for see images attach
Jasper Johnson was Portal Departure No. 2 for Kentucky, with Jonathan Givony of Draft Express reporting April 3 the freshman guard was transferring. Johnson will have three years of eligibility remaining.
He had hoped to forgo those seasons; upon his enrollment at UK, Johnson wasn't shy in stating his intention to be a one-and-done NBA draft pick.
But his play never came close to reaching that level. Johnson managed to score 10 or more points only five times in 35 appearances in 2025-26.
A UK legacy as the son of Dennis Johnson (a standout defensive lineman for Kentucky's football program more than two decades ago), Jasper finished his sole season as a Wildcat averaging 4.9 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Jaland Lowe
You must be registered for see images
The plan changed.
At the SEC Tournament earlier last month in Nashville, Jaland Lowe told The Courier Journal he intended to be back with the program next season. That didn't happen. Less than a week after Kentucky's season ended in a second-round NCAA Tournament loss to Iowa State, word began circulating that Lowe wouldn't be part of UK's 2026-27 roster.
He played just one season for the Cats.
Lowe appeared in only nine games, as his season ended prematurely due to a shoulder injury. He had corrective surgery in January. Lowe averaged 8.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his limited action.
He joined UK after spending the first two seasons of his college career at Pittsburgh.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball transfer portal updates, Mark Pope roster 2026-27
Continue reading...
