As the Kentucky Wildcats enter Year 1 of the Mark Pope era, former McDonald’s All-American and Oklahoma State center Brandon Garrison will look to build off a promising freshman season while taking on a major role for the UK frontcourt.

Brandon Garrison

• Height: 6-foot-10
• Weight: 250 lbs.
• Class: Sophomore
• Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Position: Forward
• Recruiting Ranking: 4-star recruit ranked No. 36 overall and No. 5 among centers in the class of 2023 via 247 Sports Composite. 247 Sports ranked Garrison as the 20th overall transfer this offseason.

Background

Brandon Garrison was a highly-touted prospect coming out of Oklahoma City, where he was ranked as a top-40 prospect and was named a McDonald’s All-American in the Class of 2023.

Garrison stayed home to attend Oklahoma State University over several other offers, including Arkansas, Houston, Kansas, and Texas.

In his freshman year at Oklahoma State, Garrison showed flashes of his potential, particularly on defense. He led the Cowboys and was 4th in the Big 12 in blocks with 1.5 per game while averaging 22.6 minutes per game. In total, he finished his freshman season in Stillwater with 47 total blocks.

Garrison also showed some flashes of his offensive ability too, scoring 21 points on 7-8 shooting from the floor against Mark Pope’s BYU squad and scoring 20 points on two other occasions in games against Baylor and West Virginia.

In conference play, Garrison averaged just under 10 points and just over five rebounds per game.

After his freshman season at Oklahoma State, Garrison decided to enter the transfer portal, where he chose Kentucky over Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and others.

That came as a bit of an interesting move, as he never actually visited Kentucky during the transfer process while visiting the other schools.

So, what does Garrison bring to Lexington?

Certainly the big thing is a defensive rim protector that can block and alter shots, and make opposing teams think twice about driving straight to the basket. Garrison will have to be a little more disciplined to avoid getting into foul trouble, but this is an area he can come in and make an immediate impact right away.

The other notable skill Garrison brings to Kentucky is passing ability. Garrison showed solid playmaking vision and passing ability in spurts at Oklahoma State, being able to pass out of post-up situations.

In Mark Pope’s offense, with a lot of movement and cutting, along with the shooting ability of players on the perimeter, Garrison should be able to draw attention in the post and make plays for the guys around him.

I’d also expect to see an improved offensive game overall from Garrison. He’ll mostly thrive in post-up and pick-and-roll situations, but we could see his offensive game expand.

There is definitely a ton to like about the addition of Garrison to this Kentucky roster. With a full offseason to get stronger, a coach that will be able to utilize his skillset, and with more talent around him, you have to love the potential he has.

I believe this was an excellent pickup for Pope in the transfer portal this offseason.

Projected Role

While Garrison has a world of potential, he’s likely to be a backup so long as Amari Williams is healthy. However, Williams is battling a leg injury that could sideline him for a week or two to start the regular season. If that’s the case, then Garrison will be thrust into a starting role in Game 1 and log heavy minutes as long as Williams is sidelined.

If Williams is healthy, then look for Garrison to have a smaller role off the bench, somewhere in the neighborhood of 15ish minutes per game. The hope is he’ll be a long-term piece for the Cats that could develop into an all-conference-level starter by or during his junior season.

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