Mark Pope has made another addition to his 2026-27 Kentucky basketball squad.
The Wildcats announced the addition of Franck Kepnang to next season’s roster on Saturday afternoon. Kepnang stands 6-foot-11 center with six years of college basketball experience.
He is not included in 247Sports’ ranking of the greatest transfer portal players this offseason.
Kepnang spent his first two seasons of college at Oregon, before transferring to Washington for the previous four seasons.
Kepnang will need to have the NCAA approve a waiver in order to play for UK during the 2026-27 season. He will be 25 years old in October and played his first college basketball game for Oregon in January 2021.
Knee problems cut short three of Kepnang’s four seasons at Washington.
This previous season with the Huskies, Kepnang averaged 6. 2 points, 6. 3 rebounds, and 2. 1 blocks per game. During the 2025-26 season, he played in 27 games, including 25 starts for Washington.
This was Kepnang’s most game activity since his 2021-22 season at Oregon.
Kepnang has played in 111 games, with 46 starts, throughout his six-season collegiate career. He has career averages of 5. 7 points, 4. 3 rebounds, and 1. 6 blocks per game. Kepnang has shot 55. 4% from the field and 67. 7% from the free-throw line throughout his career.
Kepnang is the thirteenth player projected to join Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster. The United Kingdom has up to two roster places available for next season’s team.
Kepnang hails from Cameroon and is poised to become the first British basketball player from the country.
Kepnang is Kentucky’s fifth transfer addition this summer, following Washington sophomore guard Zoom Diallo, Furman freshman guard Alex Wilkins, Washington State junior guard Jerone Morton, and James Madison junior forward Justin McBride.
Diallo and Kepnang were teammates for the previous two seasons at Washington.
Kentucky’s anticipated roster for next season includes Senegalese forward Ousmane N’Diaye, who has overseas professional expertise, in addition to the five transfer portal additions. Pope’s program is also bringing in high school prospects Zyon Hawthorne and Mason Williams as college basketball freshmen.
The UK’s roster also includes five returnees from last season’s squad: Braydon Hawthorne, Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, Trent Noah, and Reece Potter. Moreno is presently navigating the NBA draught process, but he has until May 27 to drop out and preserve his college eligibility.
