Baylor Bears backup big man Caleb Lohner has entered the transfer portal after two seasons in Waco, playing under Scott Drew and new Kentucky Wildcats associate head coach Alvin Brooks III.
Lohner transferred to Baylor after the 2021-22 season, where
he played two seasons at BYU under then-head coach Mark Pope.
Now, both Pope and Brooks are in Lexington on the same staff, and suddenly, Lohner could be a solid addition to big man depth.
Currently, Kentucky has three bigs committed for the 2024-25 season — Brandon Garrison (C), Amari Williams (C), and Andrew Carr (F). Lohner would presumably be a backup 4 to Carr, although he does play a different style than Carr does.
As a starter at BYU in ‘21-’22, Lohner averaged 7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. As a primary backup at Baylor, his production dropped only slightly. He had 12 points against Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals. He also scored 13 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament in 2023 against UCSB.
His season-high in points scored last season was 12
Mark Pope, the new Kentucky basketball head coach, is in a tough position following John Calipari. While the end of the Calipari era likely left many Wildcats fans with a bitter taste in their mouths, Calipari’s ability to recruit can make expectations possibly too high for Pope to reach. But it looks like Pope has already recruited an overseas prospect: the actual Pope, Pope Francis.
