Earlier this evening, another name entered the transfer portal that could be a potential target for John Calipari and his staff.
Jeff Borzello is reporting that Rhode Island Senior point guard Fatts Russell (5-10 165 lbs) is entering the transfer portal to play a fifth season away from Kingston.
Rhode Island guard Fatts Russell has entered the transfer portal, sources told ESPN.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) March 18, 2021
Russell, hailing from Philadelphia (PA), will be entering the portal and be considered a graduate transfer, making him immediately eligible for whatever school he chooses.
This past season for Rhode Island, Russell averaged some good numbers across the board with 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. For the season, he shot 33.7% from the field and 23.5% from three while drawing the main focus of defenses.
In 2019, his numbers where significantly better in a few areas, as he scored 18.8 points per game while dishing out 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds. All while showing way better shooting promise at 38.8% from the field and 35.7% from three.
Russell is a former three-star prospect in the 2017 that chose Rhode Island over offers from Grand Canyon, La Salle, Western Kentucky, DePaul, VCU and several others.
The former two-time first team all A-10 Conference guard is going to be highly coveted by any program that needs an explosive primary ball handler. He has shown over his time in Kingston that he can routinely beat his man off of the dribble and create for his teammates on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. He has continually shown that he can go off for 20+ points a night, while also continuing to involve his teammates in other aspects of the game.
There is no indication that he has heard from Kentucky, but he could be an interesting name to watch out for, as we all know the Cats missed the ability of a playmaking guard this season.
Although, if UConn reaches out, they could potentially be the team to beat, as Dan Hurley is the coach that recruited Russell to Rhode Island.
However, with Jacob Toppin also transferring from the program, if a connection is made, Kentucky could be a close one to keep an eye on.
Either way, he has got an awesome name and has some skills Kentucky could use on next season’s roster, though only if Davion Mintz leaves. If Mintz comes back, Kentucky can probably safely pass on Russell.
We will just have to wait and see if this goes anywhere.
Check out some of his highlights below!
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