ESPN news: Kentucky’s most favorite star set to join rivals in a blockbuster deal…

At the moment, UNC and Louisville are considered the front-runners.

The Heels have failed at several attempts to find a real center thus far, making the hunt turbulent to put it mildly. But the best thing about the transfer portal—at least in this instance—is that there are nearly always going to be other options. Seven-footer Ugonna Onyenso, who played for Kentucky for the previous two seasons, is the most recent name to be associated with Carolina.

For the Wildcats last season, Onyenso averaged 3.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game. Even though Onyenso only played 18.6 minutes each game, his 2.8 bpg was good for fifth place in the nation. He is a top defensive player overall and among the best rim protectors in college basketball. He shot 55% from the field, demonstrating his efficiency while close to the hoop.

Onyenso entered the transfer portal and, without an agent, put his name in the NBA draft. He is dedicated to going through the process and obtaining as much input as he can. If all goes according to plan, he wants to stay in the draft. The likelihood of Onyenso making it into the first round is low, though, since he is presently ranked No. 65 in ESPN’s most recent rankings of the best prospects available. It is anticipated that Onyenso would eventually return for a final year of education.

Onyenso’s key goal is to show scouts that he is more than just a paint presence and that he can shoot. It will be challenging to win them over in such a short period of time because he has only ever attempted three in his entire career. But Hubert Davis is the man to see if he needs a school that will allow him to hoist.

Coach Davis has two big men on the team with decent shooting ability already in Jalen Washington and Zayden High. But nobody of those guys is seven feet tall. The Heels need a physically commanding presence to help replace the vacuum left by Armado Bacot’s departure. With his stature and shot-blocking prowess, Onyenso is a great addition to this team. Onyenso would have a plenty of playing time to establish himself as a player in the paint and further develop his offensive skills.

While he keeps his attention on the draft, Onyenso’s uncle is currently speaking with schools on his behalf. As a result, it can take some time before we hear back from someone. At this point, Carolina and Louisville are seen as the favorites, with Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Alabama, and Georgetown also being considered.

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As the visit is scheduled, Kentucky is moving forward with a crucial prospective roster addition.

Guard Chaz Lanier of North Florida is anticipated to begin an official visit on the Kentucky campus on Monday.

A visit has been set between Kentucky and a significant transfer target, marking the next phase of their relationship.

The national analyst for 247Sports, Travis Branham, reports that North Florida guard Chaz Lanier will be visiting Kentucky on Monday. This weekend, he’ll be at BYU as well. There isn’t currently a scheduled visit with Tennessee, who was previously thought to be leading the recruitment.

Ever since Lanier entered the transfer portal, Kentucky and he have been in conversation. Mark Pope even had the opportunity to witness Lanier last week at the G-League Combine.

The 6-foot-4 guard Lanier scored 19.7 points a night on average the previous season while shooting 44% from three-point range and 51% from the field on 3.3 attempts per contest.

With four games of 30 points or more and fifteen games of 20 points or more, he is a legitimate scorer. He only failed to get past the double digits once. His efficiency is just as impressive as his scoring prowess.

Lanier shot at least 50% from the field in 15 games, while he only made less than 40% of his shots in 5 games.

Lanier was the most efficient player in the A-Sun and ranked 13th nationally in terms of effective field goal rate.

Lanier’s ability to shoot from the outside makes him an excellent scorer, no doubt about it. In 23 separate games last year, he made at least three three-pointers.

With a 67 percent effective field goal rate, he was in the 96th percentile for catch and shoot threes. When handling the ball off screens, he scored in the 93rd percentile and the 90th percentile when dribbling without scoring. It goes without saying that he is incredibly deadly both on and off the ball.

Two scholarships are available for Kentucky for the 2024–2025 campaign. Kentucky has secured eight transfer commitments overall.