LEXINGTON — After two seasons with the Kentucky basketball program, Brandon Garrison will finish his college career elsewhere.
Garrison, who will be a senior next season, is entering the transfer portal. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express was the first to report Garrison’s transfer.
A 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward from Oklahoma, Garrison joined UK as a transfer ahead of Mark Pope‘s first season as coach in 2024-25. He played in 35 of the Wildcats‘ 36 games that season, serving as the backup center to Amari Williams. Garrison averaged 5.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in his second college season.
With Williams gone, Garrison was expected to be a starter in 2025-26.
That lasted all of five games before Malachi Moreno — who went on to earn freshman All-SEC honors — supplanted Garrison in the lineup.
Garrison ended the season averaging 4.7. points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game.
Two of his best outings at UK occurred in the season’s final stretch.
In Kentucky‘s first-round SEC Tournament win over LSU, Garrison contributed 17 points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals in 26 minutes off the bench.
Then, in UK’s opening game in the NCAA Tournament, Garrison had 10 points (on 5-of-6 shooting) to go along with seven rebounds and a game-high six blocks against Santa Clara. Two of those blocks were in overtime, including one that led to him finishing the possession with a fast-break dunk. His performance was critical in helping the Wildcats escape with an 89-84 victory over the Broncos.
Garrison’s college career started at Oklahoma State, where he played one season (2023-24).
During his lone campaign as a Cowboy, Garrison appeared in all 32 games, with 29 starts. That season, he averaged 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in 22.7 minutes per game. Garrison made more than half his field goal attempts (57.2%; 91 for 159) and had a team-high 22 dunks.
He was a McDonald’s All-American Game selection in 2023 out of Del City High in Del City, Oklahoma. As a season, he averaged 15.7 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks per outing, highlighted by a 17-point, 16-rebound effort in a 37-35 overtime win over Carl Albert in the Class 5A state championship game.
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky basketball’s Brandon Garrison entering NCAA transfer portal
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