The majority of Kentucky basketball’s 2026–27 roster will consist of Transfer Portal players due to a dearth of high school recruiting. That’s alright. When he uses the portal correctly, Mark Pope has demonstrated that he can create a roster. The secret is that he needs to find players who can play together and fit his system.
Fans may be surprised by some of the players from the previous season’s squad joining the Transfer Portal, but this can be advantageous. It’s acceptable to clean up after a season with 14 losses. After all, this is when a lot of folks undertake their spring cleaning.
Three players are particularly notable for their ability to score goals. All three are able to drill it from a deep depth. Let’s examine each of them and their potential contributions to the Wildcats.
Three intriguing scorers Mark Pope must sign
1. Tyler Tanner
Tyler Tanner was lying on the court in pain when we last saw him this past season, having just missed a spectacular half-court jumper that would have advanced Vanderbilt to the Sweet 16 against Nebraska. From beyond half-court, it was literally in-and-out.
But it wasn’t just luck or a miracle that brought us that close. It marked the end of a season in which Tanner demonstrated his capacity for both scoring and three-point shooting.
This past season, Tanner averaged 19.5 points per night to lead the Commodores in scoring. In addition, he led Vanderbilt with 86 steals and 184 assists. Tanner also shot 36.8 percent from three-point range and 48.5 percent from the field.
Tanner scored in double figures in all but one of the 36 games during the previous season. In SEC play, he scored 20 or more points sixteen times and 30 or more points twice. Tanner scored 26 points against McNeese and 27 points against the Huskers in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament, saving his best.
Tanner made three or more three-pointers from beyond the arc in nine different games. Even though he only made double-digit shots from beyond the arc in one game, he is still a potent three-point shooter.
Tanner received numerous honors this past season, including Honorable Mention All-American by two publications, All-SEC First Team, and All-SEC Tournament Team. In addition to his offensive prowess, the fact that he was named to the SEC’s All-Defensive Team the previous season may be the most significant.
Tanner’s 55 steals as a freshman set the Vanderbilt Freshman record. Furthermore, he was the only major conference player with 60+ assists and fewer than 15 turnovers, and he led all Power Four conferences with a 4.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tanner made collegiate basketball history that season by being the only player with 50 assists, 50 steals, and fewer than 15 turnovers since at least 1996–97.
Tanner’s first two college basketball seasons have been fantastic. His ability on the offensive end to score and shoot, combined with his knack for taking the ball away, makes him a strong foundation piece for the Cats if he comes to Kentucky. Mark Pope must make this happen, but Tanner will have his fair share of suitors in the portal.
2. Camren Hunter
I think this guy is fantastic. This player has one more season of eligibility after starting his college career in the 2021–2022 campaign. In addition, Hunter won Atlantic Sun Player of the Year in 2026.
Before moving to Wisconsin for the 2024–2025 campaign, he played his first three seasons at Central Arkansas. But this past season, he returned to Central Arkansas, and wow, did he deliver. Hunter has scored 30 points or more in seven of his last 14 games. In the Atlantic Sun Tournament Championship Game versus Queens, he scored an incredible 49 points, including eight three-pointers.
That’s a different aspect of Hunter. He is a skilled shooter. Hunter made at least three three-pointers in seven of those 14 games. He made four three-pointers in four games and six in two.
Hunter only missed ten shots in a game twice in the previous season. Hunter is one of those shooters that never stops shooting. Last year, his field goal percentage was 50.6%.
Although Ansley Almonor and Amari Williams made the transition from smaller conferences to the SEC during Pope’s first season, it would be a significant step from the Atlantic Sun to the SEC. Another player who can do the same kind of leap is Hunter.
Despite playing just 11 games for the Badgers in 2024–2025, Hunter was able to experience Power Four Basketball. Hunter averaged 14.1 and 16.9 points per game during his two additional seasons at Central Arkansas.
This athlete is capable of shooting and scoring a lot.
3. Brett Decker Jr.
Decker is a player who fits in perfectly with Pope’s method and is developing into an outstanding shooter. Decker would be making a significant move from Liberty to Conference-USA, just like Hunter at Central Arkansas, but he is capable of succeeding.
Making the All-Conference USA First Team awards from the previous season. Decker fired an incredible 49.9 percent from the floor overall and 47.1 percent from three-point range. Kentucky needs that player.
Decker shot five three-pointers in ten games and scored twenty or more points eleven times this past season. Decker is a perfect example of a player that can shoot and score.
But arguably the most significant aspect of Hunter is that he was raised in Kentucky. As a senior at Central Hardin High School, Decker averaged 22 points per game and was named the fifth Region Player of the Year twice.
Given that Decker is from the Bluegrass State, Pope and the Wildcats ought to target him.
Mark Pope has demonstrated in the first year that he can do it right, but he cannot have another summer marred by poor portal decisions like the previous one. Although these three players are a start, Kentucky still has a long way to go.
