Mark Pope has been very active in the transfer portal as he looks to retool Kentucky’s roster following the departures of several key players. The Wildcats are now being predicted as the landing spot for one of the most coveted names in the transfer portal.
Kentucky is coming off a 22-14 season and a second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.
Kentucky Linked to Syracuse Forward Donnie Freeman
College basketball insider Jeff Goodman has shared his prediction on the future of Donnie Freeman, and he believes the Syracuse forward will join Kentucky for his junior year.
Just an educated guess:
Nik Khamenia to UConn
Donnie Freeman to Kentucky
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 17, 2026
“Just an educated guess: Nik Khamenia to UConn. Donnie Freeman to Kentucky,” Goodman wrote on X.
Freeman is coming off a standout season with the Syracuse Orange, averaging 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He shot 47.4% from the field and 30.2% from the three-point line in his sophomore year.
The 20-year-old scored a career-high 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting against Wake Forest in February, before recording back-to-back double-doubles. In total, he recorded four double-doubles this season.
Freeman made an official visit to Kentucky earlier this week and is widely regarded as one of the top-20 players available in the transfer portal. Although he left Lexington without a commitment, the Wildcats appear to be at the front of the queue for his signature.
The UConn Huskies have also been credited with interest in Freeman, but he reportedly no longer plans to visit them on Friday as previously scheduled. Alabama is still in the race, but Freeman could very well be representing Kentucky next season.
Regarded as one of the best forwards of the 2024 recruiting class, Freeman enjoyed two strong seasons with Syracuse. But he spent significant time on the sidelines due to a leg injury in his freshman year, and again during his sophomore year.
Kentucky also had interest in signing Robert Wright III, but he decided to leave the transfer portal and stay at BYU.
Pope has already bolstered his roster with the arrival of Zoom Diallo from the Washington Huskies. The point guard averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 assists in his sophomore year. Adding another top transfer portal target in Freeman to the roster would be a big boost to Kentucky’s hopes of a deep March Madness run next season.
