Baylor forward Caleb Lohner, who entered the portal on April 10, officially announced on social media Friday his intention to play his grad season elsewhere.
“The past two years I have been extremely blessed to be a part of Baylor Basketball, Baylor University and the Waco community.
“I’m announcing my decision to seek other athletic possibilities outside of Baylor Basketball as a graduate transfer with mixed emotions and a strong sense of gratitude.
“I would want to sincerely thank Coach Drew, the entire staff, my teammates, and everyone else who has had an impact on both my academic and athletic careers. I am grateful for your chance, faith in me, advice, and encouragement, all of which have helped me grow both on and off the court.
“I will always be proud to have been a part of this incredible family.”
Lohner played his first two college seasons at BYU for newly hired Kentucky coach Mark Pope and his final two at Baylor for newly hired UK assistant Alvin Brooks III.
Over two seasons with the Cougars in 2020-21 and 2021-22, Lohner averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds while playing in 62 games while making 44 starts. Over two seasons with the Bears, Lohner averaged 2.8 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.7 minutes per game in 69 games.
Lohner has played in 131 games in his four college seasons, making 44 starts. In 16.8 minutes per game, he averages 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Lohner would seem to be a good fit for Kentucky, who may be trying to bolster its frontcourt depth with a 7-man transfer class that is currently ranked No. 5 nationally by 247Sports, especially considering his prior experience with both Pope and Brooks.
In keeping with that, Kentucky has also shown interest in Turkish forward Bergke Buyuktuncel, a transfer from UCLA, who averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16.8 minutes a game this season as a rookie.
