The Cougars head coach Mark Pope moved for Kentucky, therefore Waterman had to wait 30 days after Pope’s departure to access the transfer site before it closed on May 1.

As a senior, the 6-foot-11, 220-pound forward started all 33 games for BYU. In 24.1 minutes per game, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 37% from three-point range.In 2022–23, Waterman played a junior year with the Cougars, starting 14 of 33 games and averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 17.0 minutes.

Waterman played two seasons for Detroit-Mercy after starting his collegiate career at Niagara. He appeared in 102 games with 76 starts, averaged 8.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and shot 38.8% from beyond the arc over his 161 career 3-pointers.

It is also anticipated that Louisville, which added former BYU big man Aly Khalifa and is still looking for another big man, would be engaged.

Additionally, Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Ansley Almonor will be in Kentucky beginning on Tuesday for an official visit. On March 19, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound forward—who 247Sports ranks as a 3-star recruit and as the 317th overall—entered the transfer portal.

Almonor, a junior this season, started 31 of 32 games for the Knights, averaging a team-high 16.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He also shot 39.4% from three point range and 43.6% from the field overall, with 93 3-pointers made.

Almonor, a two-time All-Northeast Conference selection, assisted in leading Fairleigh Dickinson to an NCAA Tournament berth the previous year. The Knights upset top-seeded Purdue in the round of 64 after defeating Texas Southern in the First Four.

Almonor shot 38.1% from outside the arc last season and averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in his second campaign. Almonor has started 65 of 68 games for FDU over the past two seasons. He has 180 career 3-pointers made at a percentage of 38.5%.

Almonor has also visited Pepperdine on official business.According to CatsPause.com, Sienna is involved as well.

To add some scoring punch to its backcourt, Kentucky is still actively recruiting Almonor, Chaz Lanier of North Florida, Jackson Robinson of BYU, and Wooga Poplar of Miami. All three players have until May 29 to withdraw from the 2024 NBA Draft.

No. 21 Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), No. 28 Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), No. 45 Lamont Butler (San Diego State), No. 66 Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), No. 81 Amari Williams (Drexel), No. 104 Koby Brea (Dayton), and No. 118 Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) make up the Wildcats’ seven-man transfer class, which is currently ranked No. 5 nationally by 247Sports.

In addition, Pope also signed former BYU signee Collin Chandler, who is coming off a 2-year Mormon mission, Ten scholarship players for the Wildcats include Kentucky Mr. Basketball, the state’s all-time top scorer and 4-star guard Travis Perry from state-champion Lyon County, as well as 4-star Harlan County guard and former South Carolina signee Trent Noah.

“We’re at 10 scholarships right now. I have two really, really important pieces that I have to add. The 13th scholarship is a floating piece. It could be a place for a young player. It could be a place for a senior player who is going to take a redshirt year. It could be a place for a project. It could be a place for a high-risk guy. We’re really dialed in on filling these last two spots. It is a priority right now.”