Kentucky Basketball Forward Brandon Garrison Enters Transfer Portal

Garrison, a backup center for the Wildcats, will look to finish his college career elsewhere after two seasons at UK.

Apr. 3, 2026 at 10:38pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist-style painting depicting a basketball player's movements broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes in vibrant colors, conveying the energy and intensity of the sport.A fractured, geometric illustration captures the dynamic movements of a basketball player, reflecting the competitive nature of the sport and the challenges players face in earning and maintaining starting roles.Del City Today

Brandon Garrison, a 6-foot-10 forward who played the last two seasons as a backup center for the Kentucky Wildcats, has entered the transfer portal. Garrison joined UK as a transfer ahead of the 2024-25 season after spending one year at Oklahoma State, where he was a McDonald's All-American. He played in 35 of 36 games for Kentucky in 2024-25, but lost his starting job to freshman Malachi Moreno this past season, averaging 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game.

Why it matters

Garrison's decision to transfer is the latest in a series of roster changes for the Kentucky basketball program, as he joins guards Jasper Johnson and Jaland Lowe in entering the portal since the end of the 2025-26 season. With the departure of starting center Amari Williams, Garrison was expected to take on a larger role, but the emergence of Moreno led to reduced playing time.

The details

After a strong freshman season at Oklahoma State in 2023-24, Garrison joined Kentucky as a transfer and served as the backup center to Amari Williams in 2024-25, averaging 5.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. This past season, Garrison lost his starting job to freshman Malachi Moreno and saw his production dip to 4.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. However, he did have two of his best performances in the postseason, scoring 17 points with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals in the SEC Tournament, and then recording 10 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks in Kentucky's NCAA Tournament opener against Santa Clara.

  • Garrison entered the transfer portal on April 3, 2026.
  • He played two seasons at Kentucky, from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

The players

Brandon Garrison

A 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward from Oklahoma who spent the last two seasons as a backup center for the Kentucky Wildcats after transferring from Oklahoma State, where he was a McDonald's All-American in 2023.

Malachi Moreno

A freshman forward who earned All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2025-26 after supplanting Garrison in the starting lineup at center for Kentucky.

Amari Williams

The starting center for Kentucky in 2024-25, his departure left an opening in the lineup that Garrison was expected to fill before losing the job to Moreno.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“After two seasons with the Kentucky basketball program, Brandon Garrison will finish his college career elsewhere.”

— Jonathan Givony, Draft Express

What’s next

Garrison will now enter the transfer portal and look to continue his college basketball career at another program.

The takeaway

Garrison's decision to transfer from Kentucky is the latest in a series of roster changes for the Wildcats, as the program looks to rebuild after the departure of several key players. His exit highlights the competitive nature of the Kentucky basketball team and the challenges players can face in earning and maintaining starting roles.