# Kentucky basketball portal closes with four new commits  
**Published:** 2026-04-22T23:45:51.000Z  
**Source:** [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-tonight/portal-closed-where-the-kentucky-mens-basketball-roster-stands)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/kentucky-basketball-portal-closes-with-four-new-commits

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The NCAA transfer portal has officially closed, ending the period for Kentucky men's basketball roster movement and leaving the Wildcats with a mix of returning players and new commitments as head coach Mark Pope builds his roster, according to [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-tonight/portal-closed-where-the-kentucky-mens-basketball-roster-stands).

Kentucky will return four players from last season: guards Kam Williams and Trent Noah, forward Reece Potter, and center Malachi Moreno, contingent on Moreno withdrawing from the NBA Draft. Forward Braydon Hawthorne also remains on the roster as of April 21.

The Wildcats have added four new commitments through the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Zoom Diallo, a 6'5" sophomore guard from the University of Washington, was Kentucky's first portal acquisition on April 15. The transfer averaged 15.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game for the Huskies. Alex Wilkins, a 6'5" guard from Furman who led the Paladins with 17.8 points per game and 4.7 assists, committed on April 18.

High school prospect Mason Williams, a four-star recruit and son of [newly appointed assistant coach Mo Williams](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/04/13/kentucky-mens-basketball-adds-mo-williams-as-assistant-coach/), a former NBA champion, officially signed with the program on April 20 after committing in March. Zyon Hawthorne, a 6'2" prospect from Huntington Prep in West Virginia and younger brother of returning player Braydon Hawthorne, also committed to the Wildcats. Hawthorne had received offers from Wichita State, La Salle, Arkansas State, and Bethune-Cookman.

The program continues to pursue additional frontcourt depth to bolster the roster alongside Moreno if he elects to return to Lexington.

## Sources

- [LEX 18 News](https://www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-tonight/portal-closed-where-the-kentucky-mens-basketball-roster-stands)
- [UK Athletics - Kentucky Men's Basketball adds Mo Williams as assistant coach](https://ukathletics.com/news/2026/04/13/kentucky-mens-basketball-adds-mo-williams-as-assistant-coach/)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from LEX 18 News. The original source is available at https://www.lex18.com/sports/bbn-tonight/portal-closed-where-the-kentucky-mens-basketball-roster-stands.