UK in the running for Garrison Brooks; Bryce Hopkins is recruiting Adam Miller

The Kentucky Wildcats are obviously in the market for 1-2 more transfer players: A true point guard, and potentially another big.

So many names are being thrown around that it is hard to keep track of what the options are. And as of today, we can add one more name to that list.

The Kentucky coaching staff has officially reached out to North Carolina transfer Garrison Brooks, and the Wildcats are reportedly one of the top contenders for the former First-Team All-ACC pick, according to Sports Illustrated reporter Quierra Luck.

This is a major development, not just in the sense that Kentucky is recruiting Brooks, but also that Mississippi State is not currently one of his top contenders. Brooks’ father, George Brooks, is an assistant coach on Ben Howland’s staff at Mississippi State.

You can imagine that the Bulldogs of Stark Vegas were initially viewed as a strong contender for Brooks, if not the outright favorite, once he entered the portal. If Mississippi State is truly not a contender, then you have to think the race for Brooks is wide open.

Brooks had a strong season for the Tar Heels this year, as he averaged 10.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. As a junior the previous season, he averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 boards and 2.0 assists per game on 53.5% shooting.

The 6-10 forward is looking for a new home now that Hubert Davis is in charge at UNC. Perhaps the potential depth chart would be shifting with the coaching change, and now Brooks does not want to be the odd man out. He is a proven big man that can run the floor, defend, and contribute on the offensive end in whatever capacity he is needed.

With Oscar Tshiebwe, Daimion Collins, and Lance Ware (and maybe Keion Brooks?) in the fold, there will be minutes available, but it will be competitive. Is the interest mutual between Brooks and Kentucky? Is he willing to go somewhere else where the front court has some serious talent even though that appears to be why he is leaving North Carolina?

Only time will tell.

Elsewhere, there’s been a lot of buzz today about Kentucky being a possible contender for Illinois Fighting Illini transfer Adam Miller.

Adding to that, Class of 2021 Kentucky signee Bryce Hopkins, who’s been one of the top high school players in Illinois in recent years, is now recruiting Miller to join him in Lexington, according to Bryce’s father, Clyde Hopkins (via KSR’s Jack Pilgrim).

“It’ll be a good move for him, I think,” Clyde said of Miller possibly joining Bryce in Lexington. “He and Bryce are becoming really close, so I’d like to see him come down and be a part of the team, if possible.”

It’s unclear how interested John Calipari is in getting Miller to Lexington, but there’s clearly a unique connection between the former Illini guard and Hopkins.

Will it be enough to help get Adam Miller to Kentucky? We probably won’t have to wait too long as Calipari looks to finalize the 2021-22 roster in the coming weeks and perhaps months.

In the meantime, be sure to Read Jack Pilgrim’s full interview with Clyde Hopkins about his son coming to Kentucky.

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