It’s over (kind of). The portal has closed. However, our pockets are still deep, and selfishly, I want a little more. Thank goodness for Tyson Chicken.

It has been a couple of weeks since I made my transfer portal wishlist, and before dipping into my negative opinions, I will note the roses of our recent portal endeavors.

In my previous column, I noted the importance of getting some of our guys back, a recurring theme of the Final Four teams that played not too long ago (I enjoy letting people know when I was right). In the words of head coach John Calipari, as posted in a video on his X account:

“You’ll want retention, we got it,” Calipari said. 

And yes, sir, we did. Freshman guard Billy Richmond III and sophomore guard D.J. Wagner are both returning. Joining them as well is junior forward Trevon Brazille, who, in my opinion, was desperately needed, being a stretch four and someone we can rely on inside and beyond the perimeter.

Who isn’t coming back? Well, our fantasies of freshman guard Boogie Fland and junior forward Adou Thiero are over – both heading to the draft. The name that is still up in the open air, testing the waters of the draft process, is freshman forward Karter Knox. Which, I know sounds selfish, but I have found myself becoming jealous when I hear his name gaining traction in the draft process. Knox was at the top of my wish list from the very beginning, someone who would likely have a breakout sophomore season. But let’s just put a pin in that for now.

Remember when I said that we needed more size? Yeah, me too. After a painfully quiet start to the portal season, Calipari hit us with a double signing on the same day. Senior forward Nick Pringle, who is all too familiar with the Southeastern Conference, playing at both Alabama and South Carolina, is spending his fifth year of college on the hill. In his last two run-ins with the Hogs, Pringle averaged 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds – something that will be incredibly productive, especially if he is coming off the bench.

Not to gloss over that, but at the same time as the Pringle news, we also received a photo from the X account of 6-foot-11 junior forward Malique Ewin of a humorously mediocre graphic of himself in a Razorback uniform. This is someone who will command the paint next season and offer needed rim protection after the departure of forward Jonas Aidoo.

Currently, that’s about it. Not too bad, right? We were able to fill in some of the holes that were left from those out of eligibility or who are headed to the draft. And let’s not forget about our five-star guards Maleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. But as of now, I don’t see how this team moves through next year’s Sweet 16.

I am going to voice my concerns now. There are still some gaps in this roster. For example, who is going to be our “knockdown shooter?” Something that seemed to already be missing from the previous roster. 

The first name that pops into my head (and may I note an expensive name) is senior guard Jamir Watkins from Florida State, who was a teammate of our own Malique Ewin. Watkins averaged 18.4 points and shot 32 percent from beyond the arc. That sounds nice to me. However, the more Watkins waits, the more this price is going to increase. Which is a pretty odd statement to make when talking about college basketball, but this is the landscape we are in now.

Another name that has risen to the scene is soon-to-be freshman guard Jayden Forsyth, who recently reopened his recruitment after signing with Xavier. Perhaps a little less known than Watkins, but someone who could certainly help behind the 3-point line.

Or how about a little pettiness? Reportedly, Calipari has shown interest in the true freshman guard Travis Perry from Kentucky. Someone whose numbers don’t pop like others, but if we can steal someone from Lexington, we might as well. Jokes aside, this could be another shooter who could provide some upside after a quieter freshman season on a stacked Kentucky roster.

I just want Karter Knox to come back. I feel like I should mention this twice.

Currently, this is a tournament team, but as an ungrateful fan, I want more. One or two more pieces will move the needle, we’ll just have to wait and see.

Maybe it’s time to pay attention to football anyway.