"Bad decision young man"; "Didn't want him anyway": College hoops fans react as Lamar Wilkerson snubs Mark Pope's Kentucky for Indiana transfer
Lamar Wilkerson won't be playing for Mark Pope's Kentucky next season. The Sam Houston State star confirmed to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman his commitment to the Indiana Hoosiers on Tuesday, much to the dismay of Wildcats fans, who expected him to move to Kentucky through the transfer portal.
Wilkerson spent three seasons with the Bearkats before entering the transfer portal. He flourished in his final year at Sam Houston State, leading the team in scoring. He averaged 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals through 32 games in the 2024-25 NCAA season.
College hoops fans shared their reactions on X/Twitter to Wilkerson's Kentucky snub.
"Uk didn’t want him anyway," one fan wrote.
"Bad decision young man," a fan said.
"Have fun rotting away in mediocrity buddy," another fan chimed in.
Some fans even blasted Mark Pope for letting another transfer target slip away:
"Ohhh baby is that a Mark Pope whiff I smell???" one fan asked.
"MARK POPE WHIFF OF THE CENTURY," another fan said.
"Can we check this again? I was told UK and Mark Pope would never lose a recruiting battle to lowly Indiana," one fan posted.
Transfer portal additions for Mark Pope's Kentucky ahead of 2025-26 NCAA season
It's not all doom and gloom for the Kentucky Wildcats, who have announced four additions through the transfer portal on Friday.
#1. Jayden Quaintance
Quaintance averaged 9.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.6 bpg, 1.5 apg and 1.1 spg through 24 games for Arizona State last season. He was named part of the Big 12 All-Freshman Team and the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
#2. Jaland Lowe
Lowe averaged 16.8 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.2 rpg and 1.8 spg through 31 games for the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2024-25 season. He was named part of the All-ACC Third Team.
#3. Kam Williams
Williams averaged 9.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 spg, 1.3 apg and 1.1 bpg through 33 games for the Tulane Green Wave last season. He was named part of the AAC All-Freshman Team.
#4. Mouhamed Dioubate
Dioubate averaged 7.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.1 apg through 37 games for the Alabama Crimson Tide last season. He helped Alabama reach the Elite Eight, averaging 8.8 ppg and 5.8 rpg in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
How do you think Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats will fare next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.