The Kentucky Wildcats have landed quite the transfer class, one that, at one point, could have included TJ Bamba and Javon Small.
However, Kentucky prioritized other options, so those two are headed elsewhere.
Bamba is now taking his talents to Oregon and will play for the Ducks next season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Bamba previously included Kentucky in his final six, and there was talk he could visit Lexington, but that never happened.
Bamba, who grew up in the Bronx, spent three seasons at Washington State before transferring to Villanova, where he averaged 10.1 points per game and shot 43% from the field this past season.
As for Small, he has committed to West Virginia. He was one of the first players Mark Pope contacted when he took the Kentucky job.
Small spent his first two seasons in college at East Carolina before competing in the Big 12 for Oklahoma State last season, averaging 15.1 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 37.4% from deep.
So far, through the late spring, Pope has done a terrific job at building his first roster, but he’ll really need to round it out with a playmaking guard to bring everything together. For now, that appears to be BYU guard Jaxson Robinson, who is testing the NBA Draft waters and may do so up until the May 29th withdrawal deadline before making a final decision.
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