The new Kentucky coach has his eye on a pair of high-profile transfers.
New Kentucky coach Mark Pope was in attendance at the NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago over the weekend with his eye on a pair of high-profile transfers, according to Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated.
Similar to the NBA Draft Combine, the G League Elite Camp showcases second-tier draft prospects in a combine setting and featured Kentucky transfer portal targets Chaz Lanier of North Florida and Miami guard Wooga Poplar.
Lanier and Poplar have until May 29 to withdraw from the 2024 NBA Draft in order to return to school.
According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Kentucky appears to be in good shape for Lanier,who is ranked as the No. 11 transfer and No. 3 shooting guard in the portal by 247Sports.
“North Florida’s Chaz Lanier is not a big-time name but he’s being sought after by big schools,” Norlander said on a recent episode of the Eye on College Basketball Podcast with Gary Parrish. “And it’s looking like that might be Kentucky, and if it’s not Kentucky, it’s Tennessee, and if it’s not Tennessee, it might be BYU.”
After four seasons with the Ospreys, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard entered the transfer portal on April 24 after previously announcing he would go test the waters of the 2024 NBA Draft.
In addition to Kentucky, Lanier is also receiving interest from BYU, Cincinnati, Duke, Florida Atlantic, Illinois, Kansas State, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Villanova and West Virginia.
As a senior this season, Lanier started 31 of 32 games for North Florida, averaging 19.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 51.0% from the field, 44.0% from 3-point range, and 86.4% from the free throw line.
He scored in double figures in 31 of 32 games with 15 20-point games and four games of 30 or more points, including 35 vs. North Alabama, 33 vs. Appalachian State and Bellarmine and 30 vs. Charleston Southern.
He scored a season-high 35 points in a loss to North Alabama, had two 33-point performances, a 30-point night and logged one double-double.
Over four collegiate seasons, all at North Florida, Lanier has appeared in 104 games with 49 starts, holding career averages of 8.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 40.7% from 3 and 86.4% from the free throw line. He’s 71 points shy of becoming a 1,000-point scorer.
Poplar, meanwhile, is ranked as the No. 19 overall transfer and No. 5 shooting guard in the portal by 247Sports.
As a junior this season, Poplar started all 29 games in which he appeared for Miami, averaging a career-high 13.1 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 42.6% from the field, 38.5% from 3 and 86.4% from the free throw line. He scored a season-high 25 points in a victory over La Salle, scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a loss to Kentucky inside Rupp Arena and logged three double-doubles on the season, including a 13-point, 11-rebound performance in a win over Georgia
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