Kentucky Transfer Aaron Bradshaw Commits to Ohio State After John Calipari's Exit

Defections from the Kentucky men's basketball program continue after head coach John Calipari exited for Arkansas, and Ohio State was the beneficiary on Monday.

Big man Aaron Bradshaw announced on his Instagram page that he committed to the Scarlet and Gray, adding "Buckeye nation lock in!"

Bradshaw was a 5-star prospect and the No. 4 overall player in the recruiting class of 2023, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

His departure is one of many for the Wildcats.

Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald Leader reported point guard D.J. Wagner elected to enter the transfer portal Monday, which meant there are now "only three Kentucky players—Reed Sheppard, Ugonna Onyenso and Jordan Burks—who have not yet entered the transfer portal or declared for the NBA draft."

Sheppard could end up declaring for the NBA draft, while "Onyenso and Burks are expected to look at other options elsewhere."

What's more, only two of the six players in next year's recruiting class who were committed to Kentucky remain, and Roberts noted guard Billy Richmond is also expected to change his mind about joining the Wildcats.

While Kentucky is worried about so many losses, Ohio State seems to be gearing up for a bounce-back season in 2024-25.

The Buckeyes missed each of the last two NCAA men's tournaments, but things seem to be turning around after they fired head coach Chris Holtmann. Interim coach Jake Diebler went 8-3 to finish last season during a stretch that included a win over Purdue, and Bradshaw joins guard Meechie Johnson Jr.—who led South Carolina in scoring in 2023-24—as high-profile transfer-portal additions this offseason.

Throw in the return of players such as Bruce Thornton, Felix Okpara, Devin Royal and Taison Chatman, and there is reason for optimism at Ohio State.

Bradshaw will give his new team another option down low alongside Okpara and one with significant upside. While he averaged just 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds as a secondary contributor for Kentucky during his freshman season, his recruiting status suggests there is far more production to unlock now that he has collegiate experience.

Ohio State certainly hopes that is the case.