Kentucky Needs Proven Three-Point Shooters in Transfer Portal

Coach Mark Pope must prioritize landing elite perimeter shooters to elevate Kentucky's offense next season.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 12:49am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Kentucky basketball player shooting a three-pointer, with the player's form broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape.Kentucky's search for reliable three-point shooters in the transfer portal will be crucial to unlocking the full potential of their high-powered offense.St. Louis Today

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope will be active in the upcoming transfer portal, but he must be selective in targeting proven three-point shooters to improve the team's outside scoring. Kentucky struggled with consistent perimeter shooting this past season, and Pope's up-tempo offense requires multiple reliable long-range threats to be effective.

Why it matters

Kentucky's inability to space the floor with three-point shooting was a major factor in their disappointing season. To get the Wildcats' offense back on track, Pope needs to land transfers who have demonstrated elite three-point accuracy at the college level, rather than taking a chance on unproven shooters.

The details

Kentucky only had one true consistent three-point shooter this past season in Collin Chandler. Other players like Otega Oweh, Kam Williams, and Denzel Aberdeen had solid shooting seasons, but the Wildcats lacked the volume of high-level perimeter threats that Pope's system requires. The coach has stated he wants Kentucky to attempt over 30, perhaps even 35, three-pointers per game, but the team fell well short of that mark in his first two seasons.

  • The transfer portal officially opens on April 7th, 2026.
  • Kentucky's 2025-26 season ended with a second-round loss in the NCAA Tournament on March 22nd, 2026.

The players

Mark Pope

The head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, who is looking to revamp the roster through the transfer portal to improve the team's three-point shooting.

Collin Chandler

The only consistent three-point shooter for Kentucky this past season, making him a crucial piece that Pope will look to build around.

Otega Oweh

A Kentucky player who had a solid shooting season, but the Wildcats need more reliable perimeter threats like him to elevate the offense.

Kam Williams

A Kentucky player who the team and fans expect to take a big leap as a three-point shooter next season if he returns to Lexington.

Denzel Aberdeen

Another Kentucky player who had a respectable shooting season, but the Wildcats require more high-volume three-point snipers.

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What’s next

The transfer portal officially opens on April 7th, 2026, and Kentucky fans are eager to see which proven three-point shooters Coach Pope targets to bolster the team's perimeter scoring.

The takeaway

Kentucky's offense stagnated this past season due to a lack of consistent three-point shooting. To get the Wildcats' attack back on track, Coach Mark Pope must prioritize landing elite perimeter threats from the transfer portal rather than taking chances on unproven shooters.