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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
Kentucky freshman Aaron Bradshaw entered the transfer portal Monday, the first domino to fall since the news of John Calipari finalizing a deal to become Arkansas‘ next head coach.
Bradshaw had considered transferring out of the program before news of Calipari’s expected departure, sources told ESPN, following an up-and-down first season in Lexington.
A McDonald’s All American in the 2023 class, Bradshaw was ranked No. 6 in the ESPN 100 coming out of high school. However, a foot injury last spring forced him to miss the entire offseason and delayed his Kentucky debut until early December.
Bradshaw showed flashes of his potential early on, putting up 17 points and 11 rebounds against Penn in the second game of his career. He also had 12 points in a win over North Carolina and hit double figures in scoring five times in his first nine games. He also was inserted into the starting lineup almost immediately, coming off the bench for two games and then starting the next 10.
Over the final two months of the season, though, Bradshaw saw his role diminish. He played double-digit minutes just five times in the final 14 games of the season, seeing just six total minutes in two games in the SEC and NCAA tournaments.
Bradshaw finished his freshman season averaging 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.8 minutes.