Reed Sheppard has announced he will leave Kentucky to enter the 2024 NBA draft. Sheppard is expected to be a lottery pick.

Sheppard averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 28.9 minutes in his freshman season at Kentucky. 

Kentucky has hired Mark Pope as head coach, replacing John Calipari.

Pope was a captain on Kentucky's 1996 national championship team and has been head coach of BYU for the past five seasons. Pope took BYU to two NCAA tournaments in five seasons, going 110-52 overall with the Cougars. 

"Mark Pope not only brings an impressive record in nine years as a head coach, but also a love of the University of Kentucky and a complete understanding of what our program means to the people of our state," Barnhart said. "As a captain on the '96 championship team, Mark was a beloved and respected teammate. As a head coach, he is highly regarded nationally as an innovator. His teams run a unique and dynamic up-tempo offense, and they get after it on defense. He is a strong recruiter with international ties and a person of integrity.

"He fully embraces our high expectations and standards, and I know that as our fans get reacquainted with Mark, they will be eager to join him on what promises to be an exciting ride."

Kentucky also had interest in Scott Drew, Dan Hurley and Billy Donovan.

Scott Drew has decided to stay at Baylor, turning down interest from Kentucky after emerging as that school's top target to replace John Calipari.

Drew, who won a national title at Baylor in 2021, has a close relationship with Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart but ultimately decided to stay at Baylor, where he has coached for 21 years and gone 446-244. He confirmed his plan to remain the Bears coach in a statement Thursday.

John Calipari left Kentucky to join Arkansas on a five-year, $38.5 million contract with bonuses that could increase the amount to seven years and almost $60 million. 

The new partnership will include an NIL fund worth “at least” $5-7 million.

Sources tell The Athletic that Calipari still regrets turning down the UCLA job in 2019. Kentucky kept Calipari on a 10-year, $86 million deal that UCLA couldn't match.

Arkansas hasn't reached the Final Four since 1995.

Billy Donovan said he has not had any contact with the University of Kentucky about their head coaching vacancy and remains committed to the Chicago Bulls.

"I have not been contacted by anybody, I haven't spoken to anybody," Donovan told reporters, adding that his answer would remain the same even if he was contacted. "My total commitment and focus is here to this team and to this group."

John Calipari stepped down as head coach of Kentucky this week for the same job with Arkansas.

Donovan began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Kentucky under Rick Pitino from 1989 until 1993. Donovan won back-to-back national championships at Florida. Donovan left Florida to become head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015 before joining the Bulls in 2020.

"I'm happy here at this level," Donovan said. "I know I enjoy coaching and I know I enjoy coaching in the NBA."

The Bulls have Donovan under contract for two more years. 

Rob Dillingham will enter the 2024 NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility. Dillingham is the No. 4 prospect in ESPN's draft projections. 

Dillingham has signed a representation agreement with Klutch Sports Group agency.

"This was a decision I made with my family," Dillingham told ESPN on Monday. "I felt prepared. Coach Calipari taught me a lot about how to be a better teammate and that it was not all about me."

Dillingham entered the season as a projected first-round pick but quickly showed he's possibly the most talented freshman in college basketball.

RealGM Prospect Report: Rob Dillingham

John Calipari is finalizing a five-year deal to become the next coach at Arkansas, sources told ESPN on Sunday night, a blockbuster move that will shake up the SEC and college basketball landscape.

The deal is expected to be completed in the next 24 hours.

Calipari is the second-highest-paid coach in the country at Kentucky, earning more than $8.5 million per year. Arkansas is believed to have offered Ole Miss' Chris Beard in the neighborhood of $5 million when it pursued him following Eric Musselman's decision last week to leave for USC, sources told ESPN.

Billy Richmond has committed to Kentucky. Richmond also considered Alabama, LSU and Memphis.

Aaron Bradshaw and DJ Wagner are former teammates of Richmond and currently with Kentucky.

Richmond is the 34th ranked prospect in the incoming class.

Jayden Quaintance has committed to Kentucky after reclassifying from 2025 to 2024.

Quaintance is the No. 14 player in the ESPN 100.

Because Quaintance just turned 16 in July, he will have to spend two years at Kentucky before entering the NBA draft.

Quaintance averaged 14.5 points and 11.1 rebounds in the Overtime Elite league last season, following it up by averaging 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer. 

The 2023-24 NCAA basketball season tips off on Monday. However, non-collegiate players top ESPN's 2024 NBA Draft prospect rankings.

Six of the top-10 prospects are playing for the G League Ignite or overseas teams. Ron Holland (#1 overall), Matas Buzelis (#6 overall) and Izan Almansa (#9 overall) are all playing for the Ignite this season. They are joined by Australia's Alex Sarr (#2 overall), France's Zaccharie Risacher (#5 overall) and Serbia's Nikola Topic (#10 overall) in the top-10.

The top ranked collegiate players are Isaiah Collier of USC (#3 overall), Justin Edwards of Kentucky (#4 overall) and Connecticut's Donovan Clingan (#7 overall) and Stephon Castle (#8 overall).