JUST IN: Kentucky Wildcats Receive Major Update Regarding Reed Sheppard Shock Decision No One Saw It Coming
Mark Pope has open roster spots to fill, and the Kentucky Wildcats are fully involved in the transfer portal season. One of the top names to keep an eye on this Wednesday is Mackenzie Mgbako, a former five-star recruit who spent his first two years at Indiana and is now searching for a new home for the 2025-26 season. Could Lexington be his next destination? The UK coaching staff is set to host Mgbako, a 6-foot-9, 222-pound forward from Gladstone,
New Jersey, for a recruiting visit after having several discussions with the former McDonald’s All-American since the transfer portal opened last week. Mgbako, who will turn 21 in November, was once considered a potential one-and-done NBA draft pick, having been ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class by 247Sports. He played on the same Nike league team as former UK players Aaron Bradshaw and DJ Wagner before heading to Indiana. His time with the Hoosiers was underwhelming compared to expectations,
although he started 64 games and averaged 12.2 points per game over his two seasons in Bloomington. In his sophomore year, Mgbako also posted averages of 4.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists while shooting 32.9% from beyond the arc (47 makes in 32 games). While Mgbako wasn’t known for his defensive prowess at Indiana, his length and athleticism give him the potential to improve in that area, and a change of scenery following two seasons under Mike Woodson — now no longer coaching the Hoosiers — might help unlock more of his potential. Additionally, Mgbako could become a better 3-point shooter in an offensive system like Pope’s. On Tuesday, the UK coaching staff also scheduled a visit with former Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen, a versatile 6-10 forward, as the first on-campus visitor since the transfer portal opened. Bowen will next visit Alabama.
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