2026-2027 Roster discussion thread

[Pobilly]

It seem likely that the NCAA would (somehow) reopen the portal for players who would now have an additional year. But with the NCAA, you never can tell. Another possibility, I think the rule that allow a player who has graduated to enter the portal at any time. Anyone know if Otega graduated?

I tried to find out if he is walking with the graduating class and cannot find anything. Yea I think the graduate rule would come into play for any that have graduated.

[bucsrule8872]

I don’t think the NCAA will reopen the portal. It will probably be where they can only transfer if they are graduates. Grads can transfer without the portal, technically speaking, IIRC. So there will be some available, but those who haven’t graduated and haven’t already hit the portal will have to go back to their current school, I would think.

But who knows, the NCAA and transferring has become like the Wild, Wild West lately. Anything could happen.

[Trueblujr]

It seem likely that the NCAA would (somehow) reopen the portal for players who would now have an additional year. But with the NCAA, you never can tell. Another possibility, I think the rule that allow a player who has graduated to enter the portal at any time. Anyone know if Otega graduated?

If he intends to return to Kentucky if they change the rule, does he even need to have his name in the portal? All I heard was he was petitioning for another year, not that he’d enter the portal. I think he would have to withdraw from the draft though. Hopefully the rule changes before that deadline or they will screw over some players. However with this change, the NBA draft should be like baseball. If a kid doesn’t like where he’s drafted or goes undrafted, they should be able to return to college if they have eligibility left. But I guess that’s still a grey area being worked out with the G-League guys being able to go back to school.

[Trueblujr]

I find the "5 year rule" to be one of the more asinine and ridiculous decisions the NCAA has ever made..... and they've made several.

An extra year because of Covid made sense, because everything was screwed up for a year (or two). There was basically a lost year....so making an accommodation for that made sense. But to permanently change it just to change it??? What's the new term going to be...."5th year senior"? We've got freshman, sophomore, junior and senior covered....now we've got a new term that covers someone who previously has been out of eligibility but because we're changing everything to make it completely different and unrecognizable as we destroy history, this will be the new thing going forward??? Great....so now records that were achieved in 4 years will be meaningless. I doubt they'll put asterisks next to all the records that it took players an extra year to break. Imagine holding a record and having it broken by someone who was given an extra year to break it. Now I don't know about you, but I'd be kinda pissed. It just seems like the NCAA doing what it always does...fly by the seat of their pants and make stuff up as they go . And as always, I'm sure it has to do with money....not right or wrong.

I don’t think it’s asinine. If a kid redshirts then plays four years, he’s a fifth year senior. No issue referring to anyone as that. It’s what they’ve been using the past few years since the COVID stuff. The Covid year was basically an exhibition year. Plenty of records have been broken with guys getting sixth and sometimes seventh years. Could fifth year guys break records that were set in four years? It happens all the time now. Back in the day of Issel and Maravich, freshman couldn’t play. Their records were achieved in three seasons and still stand today. It happens. Things change. Nobody wants to redshirt, give guys five to play five. If not change the darn redshirt rules to mirror footballs. Give guys 9-10 games to still maintain it. It would have been nice to see what Hawthorne brings to the table. Where the issue may arise, will be how many kids who redshirted sue to get their sixth year.

[UKHoops01]

I don’t think it’s asinine. If a kid redshirts then plays four years, he’s a fifth year senior. No issue referring to anyone as that. It’s what they’ve been using the past few years since the COVID stuff. The Covid year was basically an exhibition year. Plenty of records have been broken with guys getting sixth and sometimes seventh years. Could fifth year guys break records that were set in four years? It happens all the time now. Back in the day of Issel and Maravich, freshman couldn’t play. Their records were achieved in three seasons and still stand today. It happens. Things change. Nobody wants to redshirt, give guys five to play five. If not change the darn redshirt rules to mirror footballs. Give guys 9-10 games to still maintain it. It would have been nice to see what Hawthorne brings to the table. Where the issue may arise, will be how many kids who redshirted sue to get their sixth year.

The rule has always been 4 years of eligibility . Sure, they can redshirt and have a fifth year....but only FOUR years of eligibility! From the sound of it they're changing the rules to allow a FIFTH YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY! Not for any other reason than to change the rule to allow 5 years of eligibility! That's why I said it was asinine.

Now, if I've misunderstood that and that's not the case, then so be it. Somebody please enlighten me and inform me that I am wrong.

[Trueblujr]

The rule has always been 4 years of eligibility . Sure, they can redshirt and have a fifth year....but only FOUR years of eligibility! From the sound of it they're changing the rules to allow a FIFTH YEAR OF ELIGIBILITY! Not for any other reason than to change the rule to allow 5 years of eligibility! That's why I said it was asinine.

Now, if I've misunderstood that and that's not the case, then so be it. Somebody please enlighten me and inform me that I am wrong.

No, you are correct, but it’s also age based. It’s five years from your HS graduation or Age 19, or something to that affect. But it’s not always been four years of eligibility. It used to be three as I stated earlier. Freshmen used to not be allowed to play. They had Freshman teams.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Stokes and Muurinen,Pope would walk on water. .

[Matt Dillon]

Muurinen appears to be headed to Arky from what I've been reading. Stokes, who knows? My money's on Oregon.

[Cawood86]

I expect no good news on either

[Pobilly]

Agree, there is a reason Pope is visiting a player that might reclass to this year that is a wing. Ryan Hampton today. Top 10 2027 6-6 wing.

[Trueblujr]

Muurinen appears to be headed to Arky from what I've been reading. Stokes, who knows? My money's on Oregon.

Muurinen to Arkansas. Blech.