After constructing a brand-new Kentucky men’s basketball team last offseason, head coach Mark Pope is doing it again—but this time, he’s building a defensive powerhouse.
Last year’s transfers like Lamont Butler, Brandon Garrison, Otega Oweh, and Amari Williams were quietly selected with one thing in mind: stopping opponents. That defensive mindset is back, and the numbers show Pope might be assembling one of the most intimidating defenses in college basketball.
According to college basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawa, Kentucky has once again dominated the transfer portal on the defensive end. Two new Wildcats—Mouhamed Dioubate (from Alabama) and Jayden Quaintance (from Arizona State)—rank among the top four transfer players in the nation based on Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating (DBPR), a cutting-edge metric from EvanMiya.com that measures defensive impact per 100 possessions compared to the Division I average.
And here’s where it gets wild: Quaintance isn’t just good—he’s projected to be the best defensive addition in all of college basketball. His DBPR of +3.86 leads the country among portal players. He averaged 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, and 1.1 steals at Arizona State last season, and he’s expected to be a game-changing force in Lexington.
Not far behind is Dioubate, with a DBPR of +2.78—fourth-best in the portal. He pulled down nearly 6 rebounds per game for Alabama and brings relentless energy and toughness to the paint.
“They clearly focused again on the defensive end for some of these players,” Miyakawa told the Herald-Leader. “Quaintance and Dioubate are two of the highest-value defensive guys in the portal.”
But Wait—There’s More
Pope’s not just adding raw numbers—he’s bringing in winning DNA. Denzel Aberdeen, a tough, experienced guard from Florida, joins the Wildcats after helping lead the Gators to both the SEC and NCAA Tournament championships. His DBPR might be a modest +0.22, but don’t let that fool you. Coaches and analysts alike recognize him as one of the SEC’s best on-ball defenders, and he made five starts while averaging nearly 20 minutes a game during Florida’s title run.
Incoming players Jaland Lowe (+1.51 DBPR) and Kam Williams (+1.22) are also expected to be net positives on the defensive end, adding versatility and athleticism to the perimeter.
Last Season’s Flaws? Pope’s Fixing Them
If you watched Kentucky last year, you know defense was the Achilles’ heel. Despite some late-season improvement, the Wildcats still finished 51st in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom—a disappointing mark for a team with championship aspirations.
Only Purdue (53rd) and Missouri (68th) fared worse among KenPom’s top 20 teams, and they both made early exits in the NCAA Tournament. For context, nearly every national champion since 1997 has ranked in the top 15 defensively. If Kentucky wants to cut down the nets, that number has to improve.
Pope knows it. And he’s taking no chances.
“I love that approach,” Miyakawa said. “You’re bringing in guys who will lay the defensive foundation. That’s how you build a winner.”
Internal Growth Sets the Stage
Alongside the new arrivals, Pope is counting on big leaps from returnees like Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, Brandon Garrison, and Otega Oweh, who recently announced he’ll return for his senior season rather than enter the NBA Draft.
Oweh was one of Kentucky’s most effective defenders last season, with a DBPR of +1.81, while Garrison chipped in with +0.63. Combined, the four returners accounted for 44.2% of UK’s steals and 29% of its blocks last season—a rock-solid base to build on.
During his May 13 press conference, Pope was clear: Year Two players in his system are expected to take major strides.
With a reloaded roster full of defensive stoppers, an elite coaching staff, and returning talent ready to take the next step, Kentucky is primed for a leap on the end of the floor that matters most in March.
If defense really does win championships, Big Blue Nation might want to start making travel plans.
