Bashir loves letting it rip from deep.
The Kentucky Wildcats‘ season ended in the Sweet 16, and they’re now hard at work to retool a roster that will undergo major turnover.
While this roster composition was full of transfer portal players and a few freshmen due to the nature of the beast when John Calipari left, Pope will have a better mix with players like Jasper Johnson joining the team next season.
However, the way the NCAA is trending, the name of the game is having a quality mix of solid transfer players and rising prospects.
One under-the-radar name is Monmouth shooting guard Abdi Bashir Jr, who Kentucky recently contacted, according to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck.
Bashir, who stands 6-foot-7, also brings size to a backcourt that’ll feature Overtime Elite’s Jasper Johnson next season. In his second season at Monmouth, Bashir averaged 20.1 points per game on 37.7% shooting from the field and 38.3 shooting from deep on 10.1 3-point attempts per game, so most of his shots come from there. He also chipped in 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists per outing.
Bashir will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Unfortunately, one of Kentucky’s top point guard options just went off the board.
According to Jonathan Givony, Silas Demary Jr. has committed to UConn. Demary was someone Kentucky contacted and even had an in-person visit with, but the Georgia Bulldogs transfer is opting to go with the Huskies instead.
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a Kentucky team that desperately needs a veteran point guard, and Demary was arguably the best available option in the portal. Now, Kentucky will have to focus on names like Jacksonville State’s Jaron Pierre and Pittsburgh’s Jaland Lowe.
The Cats were able to receive a commitment from Kam Williams, a former Tulane guard and one of the best shooters in the portal. Expect them to keep building out their backcourt with these solid mid-major guards.