In the transfer portal era, former Kentucky players can be hard to keep up with. Some guys bring up fond memories of their time in Lexington, while others make you point and laugh about the fact that that dude is still in college. <\/p>\n
As we await the National Championship game (and hope that UConn does not win), let\u2019s take a minute and browse through how each former Wildcat fared in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n
Former Kentucky Players in the 2026 NCAA Tournament<\/p>\n
Zvonimir Ivisic<\/a> (Illinois) has come a long way since Kentucky fans put his name on a billboard outside the NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis in a plea for the powers that be to grant him eligibility. After following Calipari to Arkansas, Big Z joined his brother at Illinois this season. In a full circle moment, he returned to Indianapolis, not on a billboard, but in the Final Four. He did not put up huge March numbers, but I\u2019ll always root for Big Z.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: Final Four | 2.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1 bpg.<\/p>\n Bryce Hopkins<\/a> (St. John\u2019s) is unique in that he has played under both Rick Pitino and John Calipari. He had a solid year in his 5th and final season of college basketball at St. John\u2019s and helped the Johnnies advance to the Sweet 16, where he and his team lost to Duke. Boo, Duke.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: Sweet 16 | 15.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1 spg.<\/p>\n DJ Wagner<\/a> (Arkansas) did not start a game in the 2026 NCAA tournament. Take that for what it is worth. The former Kentucky starter came off the bench in each of the University of Calipari\u2019s three tournament games, putting up modest numbers. Wagner has one more year of eligibility remaining. Hopefully, he finds his maximum potential.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: Sweet 16 | 5.3 ppg, 3 apg, 2 rpg<\/p>\n Ugonna Onyenso<\/a> (Virginia) made national headlines in the ACC Tournament by recording nine blocks<\/a> against Duke, setting a championship game record. Rejecting shots is an area where Ugo has excelled since his time at Kentucky. He didn\u2019t quite make that big of a splash in the NCAA Tournament, as his Cavaliers lost in the second round to Tennessee.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: Second Round | 3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2 bpg<\/p>\n Cam\u2019Ron Fletcher<\/a> (High Point) and Devin Askew were on the same Kentucky roster back in 2020-21. After three years at Florida State, Fletcher keeps getting new eligibility and spent this season with High Point after last season with Xavier. This year, he helped upset Wisconsin in the first round as a 12 seed, but ultimately fell to his old coach and the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Round of 32. Despite the early exit, no other former \u2018Cat had more points in this tournament than Fletcher.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: Second Round | 19.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 2 spg<\/p>\n Devin Askew<\/a> (Villanova) is going to be 24 years old in July. The Van Wilder of college hoops suited for Villanova alongside former Kentucky commit, Acaden Lewis, for what is most certainly his final year of eligibility. But who knows? Maybe he\u2019ll figure out another loophole to stick around for a 7th year. In what should be his final tourney, he and his Nova squad lost to Utah State in the first round.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: First Round | 3 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal<\/p>\n Jordan Burks<\/a> (Central Florida) might be an easy name to forget, but he was a role player as a freshman during Calipari\u2019s final year at Kentucky. He transferred to Georgetown for his sophomore year and landed at UCF this season, where he started every game and averaged over 13 points. He helped get the Golden Knights to the big dance as a 10 seed. They fell to UCLA in the first round despite Burks\u2019 22 points.<\/p>\n NCAA Tournament Stats: First Round | 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assist, 1 block<\/p>\n Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+<\/p>\n KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a pressure-packed Kentucky basketball season for Mark Pope, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the transfer portal era, former Kentucky players can be hard to keep up with. 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