Devin Askew Enters NCAA Transfer Portal
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball freshman guard Devin Askew entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal on Monday and will continue his college basketball career elsewhere.
Askew will have the ability to transfer to any school without any restrictions, per NCAA rules.
“I am thankful for the opportunity I had to play basketball at the University of Kentucky,” Askew said. “I am also thankful for the coaching staff as they provided an experience that contributed to my development in this game I love. My teammates will be my friends forever and I appreciate how they pushed me day in and day out to get better.
“With that being said, it will be part of my growth in this game to explore a new opportunity and enter the transfer portal.”
Askew was a significant contributor for the 2020-21 Wildcats. The 6-foot-3 guard played in all 25 games and made 20 starts, primarily as the team’s lead point guard. He averaged 6.5 points per game and finished second on the team with 73 assists (2.9 per game).
The freshman guard led UK in assists in a team-high 16 games and dished out three or more dimes 16 times.
“This is the part of the business I hate,” UK head coach John Calipari said. “I wish I could coach every kid for four years, but I have to respect Devin’s decision and I do. I will always be here to help him. My hope – and I told him this – is that he takes the fight he learned here with him wherever he goes. He was a great teammate and improved in so many ways as the season wore on. I will be rooting for Devin as he takes this next step.”
Askew reached double-figure scoring in seven games with a career high of 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the home loss vs. Tennessee.
Other notable games include 11 points and a career-high seven assists in the double-overtime win at Mississippi State, an 11-point, six-assist game vs. Arkansas, and a pair of 12-point games vs. Morehead State and nationally ranked North Carolina. Askew scored nine or more points in four straight games from Feb. 6 to Feb. 17, plus had a nice run from Dec. 19 to Jan. 12 in which he averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
Askew shot 34.5% from the field and a team-best 80.6% from the free-throw line. He also added 23 steals.
Askew came to Kentucky by way of Mater Dei High School in California. The Sacramento native was a five-star prospect by ESPN and tabbed the No. 26 overall player in the 2020 class by ESPN. He was the consensus No. 1 point guard in the 2021 class prior to reclassifying.
Averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and 4.9 rebounds in his final season at Mater Dei, Askew was tabbed to the California Interscholastic Federation First Team in 2020 and was named the Trinity League Player of the Year. He made the Jordan Brand Classic roster.
Askew is the second player from the 2020-21 team to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Freshman forward Cam’Ron Fletcher announced his intentions last month.
Other roster moves since the season ended include freshman guards Brandon Boston Jr. and Terrence Clarke declaring for the NBA Draft with the intentions to remain in the July 29 draft and forfeit their remaining college eligibility. Freshman forward Isaiah Jackson has also declared for the NBA Draft but indicated he is going through the process and is leaving his eligibility open.
In addition to highly touted signees Daimion Collins, Nolan Hickman and Bryce Hopkins, UK added Davidson graduate transfer Kellan Grady to the 2021-22 roster last week. The 6-5 guard scored more than 2,000 points in all four seasons at Davidson, averaged at least 17.1 points per game in all four years and made 240 career 3-pointers.
For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
