DONE DEALS:Kentucky Wildcats Sign 6th Player in 16 Days: Wake Forest Forward Andrew Carr Joins…

Under new coach Mark Pope, it becomes more likely by the day that Kentucky will have a full roster, and it looks like a very talented one. And a really ancient one. Pope took over a team that had no scholarship players after just 16 days on the job. He currently has six.

The newest player and fourth transfer to choose Pope and the Wildcats was Wake Forest’s 6-foot-11 big Andrew Carr. He provides Pope’s explosive, 3-point-oriented attack with a respectable stretch-4. Carr led the Demon Deacons in scoring last season with an average of 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 blocks. On nearly 100 attempts, he made 37 percent of his 3-pointers..

Notable stat: Carr has made 112 starts in 117 games while attending college. He is a part of a significant roster overhaul for Kentucky, which under Pope’s predecessor John Calipari was always youthful. Carr joins a group that also includes former Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh (60 games, 37 starts), former Drexel center Amari Williams (105 games, 79 starts), and former San Diego State guard Lamont Butler (131 games, 102 starts).

Even Collin Chandler, a former top-40 prospect who served a two-year Mormon mission, is 20 years old and one of the Cats’ two new freshmen. Furthermore, as Kentucky fills out its roster via the transfer portal, it will only get older.

Over the weekend, Pope welcomed back former Saint Mary’s guard Aidan Mahaney (69 games, 60 starts). This week, he will have visits from former Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins (92 games, 88 starts) and former Utah State forward Great Osobor (104 games, 38 starts). The 6-foot-7 wing Jaxson Robinson, who played 96 games and 44 starts under Pope at BYU, recently joined the transfer portal and the Wildcats will be a big player in his recruitment.

Regarding the most recent arrival, Carr may be the most talented player now on the team. This season, he scored 28 points against NC State, the eventual Final Four squad, and finished with 26 points, six rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists in a victory against Florida. He also had 31 points and 11 rebounds against Georgia in the NIT. In addition, he recorded an 18-point performance against Duke, a 12-and-12 double-double against Virginia, and 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists against Clemson.

Carr is not just a valuable addition, but he also marks another significant recruiting victory for Pope. Carr arrived in Lexington immediately following a trip to Texas Tech. Then, immediately following the trip to Kentucky, he paid a visit to Villanova. And by Sunday night, he made the Cats the object of his devotion. Following his hectic schedule to conclude last week, Pope hosted Oweh on Thursday, secured a commitment, and then took a plane to Las Vegas on Friday to finalize Butler’s acquisition. That same evening, he returned to Lexington to greet Mahaney and Carr.      )