Following the decision made by Sam Houston sharpshooter Lamar Wilkerson to commit to Indiana over Kentucky Tuesday, Mark Pope and the Wildcats remain on the hunt for one more wing to complete its 2025-26 roster puzzle and provide insurance in case Otega Oweh remains in the NBA Draft.
A name that emerged as a potential option Wednesday is Florida State shooting guard/small forward Jamir Watkins.
Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported Wednesday that three schools he was “told could be in the mix for Jamir Watkins” were Louisville, Kentucky and Illinois.
Watkins, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound graduate transfer, is a five-star ttransfer portal process who is ranked as the sixth best player on the market and second best small forward only behind St. John’s transfer and defending Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr.
He has also entered his name in the NBA Draft while maintaining college eligibility.
The Trenton, New Jersey, native started his college career at VCU, where, as a freshman during the COVID shortened 2020-21 season, he averaged 7.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, playing in 26 games and starting two.
After redshirting during the 2021-22 season while recovering from a knee injury, he returned to VCU for the 2022-23 season and played in 35 games and made 17 starts. On the year, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from three.
He transferred to Florida State to play for former UK assistant Leonard Hamilton ahead of the 2023-24 season, and in his debut season with the Seminoles averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three. The season that saw him start all 33 games earned him All-ACC Honorable Mention Honors.
This past season, Watkins started all 32 games for the Seminoles and averaged a career-high 18.4 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He shot 42.7 percent from the field, 32.1 percent (53-for-165) from three and 74.7 percent from the free throw line. The season earned him All-ACC Second-Team honors.
Watkins scored over 20 points in 12 of 32 games, including dropping a season-high 30 points in a win over Rice, going for 26 in a home loss to North Carolina and 21 in a road loss to Duke. He scored in double figures in 30 of 32 games and logged a double-double in FSU’s ACC Tournament loss to Syracuse, dropping 16 points and grabbing a season-high 11 rebounds.
He will have one year of eligibility to use at his next school.
Kentucky has already landed four transfer portal commitments this offseason all of whom have signed with the Wildcats. The group consists of Pittsburgh point guard Jaland Lowe, Tulane small forward/guard Kam Williams, Alabama power forward Mouhamed Dioubate, and Arizona State center Jayden Quaintance.
Keep up with all Kentucky transfer portal news with CatsPause.com’s transfer portal tracker.
