Kentucky Men’s Basketball Adds Veteran Big Man, Franck Kepnang
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball announced the addition of Franck Kepnang (pronounced Frank KEP-nong), a 6-foot-11 center originally from Yaoundé, Cameroon, on Monday.
Kepnang spent the last four seasons at Washington, where he was teammates with fellow Kentucky signee, Zoom Diallo. He will have one year of eligibility remaining for the 2026-27 season.
During the 2025-26 season, Kepnang started 25 games for the Huskies, averaging 6.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
A stout rim-protector, Kepnang ranked third in the Big Ten conference in both total blocks (56) and blocks per game. He had nine games with three or more blocks, including three with six blocks.
Kepnang scored a season-high 15 points against Nevada this past November. In January, he recorded an impressive double-double on the road at No. 5 Purdue, posting 10 points and 10 rebounds. Kepnang registered another double-double in a win over Oregon later that month, securing a career-high 14 boards to go along with 10 points.
During his previous three seasons at Washington, Kepnang had several other noteworthy performances. He scored 14 points and added five rebounds, five blocks and four steals at Penn State in 2025. In consecutive games during the 2023-24 season, Kepnang went for 16 points and 11 rebounds against Montana State, before registering 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocks in an upset win over No. 7 Gonzaga. In his first season with the Huskies, Kepnang tallied 16 points and 11 rebounds vs. North Florida, making a career-high eight field goals.
Prior to his time at Washington, Kepnang spent his first two collegiate seasons at Oregon where he played in 52 games and averaged 4.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. During his freshman season, Kepnang went to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament with the Ducks, eventually scoring eight points in the Sweet 16 contest vs. USC.
Over his six total seasons between Washington and Oregon, Kepnang has played in 111 games and made 46 starts. For his career, Kepnang averages 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 55.4 percent from the field. He has four career double-doubles.
Kepnang played at Westtown High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania where he was a top 50 recruit in the class of 2021 prior to reclassifying. He averaged 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks per game during his final season at Westtown.
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