The changes keep on coming to Kentucky’s basketball roster, with another guard becoming the latest to join Mark Pope’s new-look squad.
Kentucky finished seventh in the SEC this season with a 22-14 overall record. The Wildcats then bowed out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Iowa State in disappointing fashion.
Kentucky Lands Furman Guard Alex Wilkins in Latest Big Move
The Wildcats are retooling their roster a year after reportedly spending $22 million on their team.
Just days after landing true point guard Zoom Diallo, Kentucky has landed combo guard Alex Wilkins to complete its backcourt for next season. College basketball insider Jeff Goodman shared the news of Wilkins’ commitment on X.
“Kentucky has landed Furman point guard Alex Wilkins, source told @TheFieldOf68. Interesting pairing with Wilkins and Zoom Diallo,” he wrote.
Kentucky has landed Furman point guard Alex Wilkins, source told @TheFieldOf68.
Interesting pairing with Wilkins and Zoom Diallo.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 18, 2026
Wilkins is coming off a strong freshman year with Furman in which he averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game while shooting 46.0% from the field.
The 6-foot-5 guard had a number of standout games for Furman last season, including against the eventual national championship runner-up UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field. He also had two 30-point games for the Paladins last year.
Wilkins, who made an official visit to Kentucky this week, was named the 2026 Southern Conference Tournament MVP and was also included in the All-Southern Team for the 2025-26 season.
He will now form Kentucky’s backcourt with Diallo, who averaged 15.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game for the Washington Huskies in his sophomore year.
Kentucky is looking to rebuild its roster through the transfer portal and has already lost several players this offseason, including Jaland Lowe, Collin Chandler, Denzel Aberdeen, Andrija Jelavic, Mo Dioubate, Brandon Garrison, and Jasper Johnson.
Following the backcourt upheaval, Kentucky is also reportedly looking to bolster its frontcourt with the transfer of Donnie Freeman from Syracuse. The forward canceled his visit to UConn this week, making the Wildcats the favorites for his signature. Freeman was in Lexington this week for an official visit to Kentucky.
Pope still has plenty of work to do in the portal, as he continues to weigh his options and make changes to the Kentucky roster. With the Wildcats, expectations will always be high, so the pressure will be on Pope to assemble a competitive roster.
