Transfer Portal: Kentucky Reaches Out to Harrison Ingram; Kel'el Ware to Indiana

The Wildcats are yet to be seriously linked with a top talent in the transfer portal, as they continue to wait on the decisions of some potentially huge pieces for the 2023-24 roster.

As the transfer portal continues to dominate the college basketball offseason-headlines, Kentucky is simply waiting on the decisions of some players that could totally change the outlook of its 2023-24 roster. 

While the decisions of big men Oscar Tshiebwe and Ugonna Onyenso remain up in the air, other programs are starting to swipe talent off the board, doing so in a hurry. Kentucky has been linked with a couple of names, but there's no current names out on the market that are considered to have serious ties with the Wildcats. 

Another player has now been added to the "reached out to' list — Stanford transfer Harrison Ingram. On3's Joe Tipton reported that both UK head coach John Calipari and Kansas head coach Bill Self spoke to the former 5-star recruit on Monday. It may be a little too late, however. 

North Carolina was one of the finalists to initially land the McDonald's All-American. before his commitment to the Cardinal. Coach Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels are now considered the favorite to pluck Ingram from the portal. Calipari is doing what he can to wiggle his way into the conversation, though. 

Ingram was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in the 2021-22 season, averaging 10.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists a game. The 6-foot-7 Dallas native then put up similar numbers as a sophomore — 10.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.7 APG. he shot 40.8 percent from the field this past season and had 20 games with 10 or more points. 

Add his name to the portal watchlist, but remove these, if you're a Kentucky fan: 

Kel'el Ware to Indiana

Of the few names that Kentucky has reportedly reached out to, freshman 7-footer Kel'el Ware was a name that perked the ears of Big Blue Nation. Coming off the bench for Oregon this season, Ware averaged 6.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG. He blocked 45 shots and shot 45.7 percent from the floor. 

The McDonald's All-American has the offensive skill at the rim to go with his obvious presence on defense. He played high school ball in North Little Rock, Ark. alongside Arkansas star Nick Smith Jr. He's now transitioning from Oregon to Indiana, as he's headed to Bloomington to play for coach Mike Woodson. 

TJ Bamba not considering Kentucky

ESPN's Jeff Borzello reported on Monday that junior Washington State transfer TJ Bamba will announce his new destination on Friday, April 14, but Kentucky is not one of the finalists. 

The 6-foot-5 guard out of Bronx, N.Y will choose either Villanova or Georgia Tech. Bamba was rated as the no. 4 best available player in the portal, per The Athletic. He led the Cougars with 15.8 PPG, a huge jump from his production as a sophomore. He also added 3.7 RPG and 1.7 APG.

Bamba brings 3-point shooting to the table, as he was a 37.2-percent shooter from behind the arc this past season and sits at 38.5 percent across his three seasons in Pullman, Wash, where he appeared in 86 games for WSU.

Pros and Cons of Tshiebwe Returning for a Third Season at Kentucky

More on the soon-to-be Wildcats HERE.

Inside Kentucky basketball's somber locker room after NCAA Tourney defeat HERE.

More on the potential roster overhaul in Lexington HERE.

More on the loss to Kansas State HERE.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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