The Kentucky Wildcats have officially signed Oklahoma State transfer Brandon Garrison, the school announced Tuesday. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining.
“Brandon’s a McDonald’s All-American and a FIBA U18 Americas gold medalist with Team USA who crushed me at BYU last year and crushed Coach [Alvin] Brooks at Baylor last year,” head coach Mark Pope said in a press release. “We’re unbelievably glad he’s on our team now. He’s an incredible person with a brilliant, joyful smile that BBN will fall in love with. We’re really excited about our front line and Brandon will be a key piece to it.”
In his freshman season with the Cowboys, Garrison appeared in 32 games, starting 29, while averaging 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. The Oklahoma City native also shot a team-best 57.2% from the floor in his first collegiate season, the fourth-best all-time among OSU rookies with at least 80 makes.
Garrison elevated his play during Big 12 action, averaging 9.9 points in conference games, including three 20-point efforts. In the Cowboys’ Big 12 opener, Garrison dropped 20 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting vs. Baylor while also collecting eight rebounds.
The big man again scored 20 points against West Virginia before tallying a career-high 21 points against Pope’s BYU squad in February. The freshman showed a knack for getting to the line, registering the league’s highest free-throw rate during conference play per KenPom at 71.6 (68 free-throw attempts, 95 field-goal attempts). He scored in double figures on nine occasions and collected his first-career double-double when he posted 11 points and 10 rebounds in a win over South Carolina State.
In addition to his offensive abilities, Garrison also brings a strong shot-blocking presence. He totaled 47 blocks on the 2023-24 season, the fifth-most ever by an Oklahoma State freshman. He set a personal best with six blocks against Houston Christian in November and registered five blocks vs. UCF in the Big 12 Tournament.
Garrison attended Del City High School and was a 2023 McDonald’s All-American. He was the 2023 Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year in the state of Oklahoma and led his team to a pair of 5A state titles, the school’s first in more than four decades. Garrison also has international experience, winning a gold medal with Team USA at the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas in Mexico.
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