Jordan Burks, who joined the UK basketball team late last year, has announced where he’s headed from the transfer portal.
Former University of Kentucky men’s basketball player Jordan Burks has announced his destination after entering the transfer portal. The 6-foot-8 forward from Decatur, Alabama, will be joining the Georgetown Hoyas after spending one season at UK. Burks, who entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 19, had an average of 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per game last season, playing in 20 games as a freshman.
During the 2023-24 season, which turned out to be John Calipari’s final season as Kentucky’s head coach, Burks served as a backup post player. He assumed this role while Kentucky’s three 7-footers, Aaron Bradshaw, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Ugonna Onyenso, were sidelined. However, once these players returned to the court in December, Burks’ playing time diminished significantly. He only played more than seven minutes in a game once during SEC play last season, which occurred in a lopsided victory against Vanderbilt on Feb. 6, where he scored 13 points in 15 minutes. Burks did not participate in either of UK’s postseason games in March, including an SEC Tournament loss to Texas A&M and an NCAA Tournament loss to Oakland.
Ranked as a three-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite out of high school, Burks originally committed to and signed his national letter of intent with Ole Miss. However, he withdrew his commitment following a coaching change at Ole Miss. Burks then committed to Kentucky in June, citing his confidence in Coach Calipari’s honesty and the opportunity to work hard for his place on the team.
Burks’ decision to transfer marks another change in Kentucky’s basketball roster. Alongside Burks, other players from Kentucky’s 2023-24 squad, including Aaron Bradshaw, Joey Hart, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Adou Thiero, are transferring to new schools. Additionally, Ugonna Onyenso and D.J. Wagner are still in the NCAA transfer portal. Furthermore, some players from last season’s team have declared for the 2024 NBA draft or have exhausted their college eligibility. Notably, five of the six players originally committed to Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting class have decommitted, with several choosing to follow Calipari to Arkansas. In contrast, in-state guard Travis Perry, the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school boys basketball history, remains committed to Kentucky and will play for new head coach Mark Pope, who previously coached at BYU and Utah State.
