Where the Wildcats stand in ESPN’s updated transfer rankings

All fans of college sports are acquainted with the transfer portal by now. It’s the start of a new era of recruiting in college athletics, and the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program is a team at the forefront of this new era.

The staff has taken signatures from three current transfer players and are looking to ink a fourth in the coming days. But a question everyone asks is where do they rank among all of the players that have entered the portal.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN is trying to help answer that question, and has released his updated transfer rankings after the decision by Marcus Carr to stay in the draft. He ranked the top-100 transfers on the market, and all three Kentucky transfer signees made the rankings. Here is where they rank:

7. Oscar Tshiebwe

Tshiebwe is more familiar to Kentucky fans since he has been on campus since January, and he got some practice run with the team this last season. It’s no secret how dominate he was in his freshman season at West Virginia, and he is fully expected to return to that form this season. He is the type of big that Coach Calipari loves to have on his team, so don't be surprised to see Oscar fit in quite well to the scheme Cal runs, especially now that Orlando Antigua is back to aid in his development.

9. Kellan Grady

Grady is exactly the type of guy you enjoy to have on your team, and that is why Borzello has him in this lot. He is the epitome of consistency and also adds in over 4,000 career minutes played and over 2,000 points scored. He is shaping up to be a fan-favorite in Lexington next season.

62. CJ Fredrick

This ranking seems rather low for a two-year starter for a program that has consistently been in the top-ten in each of his seasons at Iowa. His reputation is also no secret to anyone. He is a pure sharpshooter shooting over 46 percent in his two season for the Hawkeyes. On top of the shooting he does show the ability to get to the rim off of a solid pump fake.

John Calipari and his staff are also in the middle of a heated recruiting battle for Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. He comes in on the list at 15th overall. Adding him would give the staff three of the top-15 transfers in the country, and should show fans a peak into the staffs recruiting philosophy for the years to come.

For Wheeler it seemed as though a commitment to Kentucky was going to come any day, but as the days draw out, the buzz for other programs could grow.

At No. 1 now is Arizona State transfer Remy Martin, though he could follow the same path as Marcus Carr and ultimately remain in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Include the three freshman signees, as well as the returnees from last season, and this roster is starting to take shape. The picture should be done in the coming weeks, and we can finally start to set expectations for what is to come in the season this winter.