3 dream UConn transfers for Kentucky if Dan Hurley leaves for Lakers

If you woke up this morning to the sound of the ground shaking, don't be alarmed. That was just a Woj bomb going off, as the veteran NBA insider tweeted that the Los Angeles Lakers are in hot pursuit of UConn's Dan Hurley to be their next head coach.

Hurley is at the top of the college game after winning back-to-back national championships, but if the Lakers are able to pry him away from Storrs for the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown, it could create a Woj bomb-like shockwave throughout the college basketball landscape.

Losing Hurley would almost certainly derail UConn's chances at an unprecedented three-peat, whether the Huskies decide to promote associate head coach Kimani Young or broaden their search to some of the other top names in the college coaching ranks. All players on UConn's roster would be eligible to transfer, and though some may stay, the shocking departure of Hurley would undoubtedly lead to quite a bit of turnover.

Kentucky, which is no stranger to coaching upheaval after hiring alum and now-former BYU coach Mark Pope in the wake of John Calipari's sudden exit for Arkansas, is one school that could stand to benefit from a UConn exodus. The Wildcats have already been tremendously active in the portal in both directions, as many of Calipari's players have either followed him to Arkansas (DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic), or gone somewhere else entirely for a fresh start (Ugonna Onyenso and Aaron Bradshaw).

Not a single scholarship player from this year's team is slated to return, but Pope has filled those vacant spots and then some with a bounty of incoming transfer talent that includes Koby Brea from Dayton, Jaxson Robinson from BYU, LaMont Butler from San Diego State, Brandon Garrison from Oklahoma State, Otega Oweh from Oklahoma, and Kerr Kriisa from West Virginia.

At last check, Kentucky still has one scholarship available, and there is no shortage of difference-making options for that ride if Hurley leaves UConn. Let's look at three players who could make an immediate impact in Pope's first season back in Lexington.

3. Samson Johnson

UConn had one of the best interior defenses in the country this past season, but while Donovan Clingan deserves much of the credit, the Huskies had more than just the 7-foot-2 projected top-five pick patrolling the paint.

Just as Clingan took on a larger role after Adama Sanogo's departure, Samson Johnson stepped up to go from an end-of-the-bench guy to a reliable backup center. The 6-foot-10 junior averaged over 16 minutes in 40 games played this past season, and while he didn't light up the stat sheet, he did allow UConn to feel comfortable giving Clingan the occasional breather.

Johnson doesn't have a lot of bulk for a player his size, but his 7-foot-5 wingspan makes him an especially good rim protector nonetheless. He's also great as a rim runner and alley-oop finisher, which is why he shot 72.5% from the floor this season. He'd be an extremely useful complementary piece alongside some of the more ball-dominant players that Kentucky will have next year.

Although Johnson's minutes per game more than quadrupled last season, he hasn't shown that he can handle 20+ minutes a game. Kentucky doesn't need that, though, and Johnson could really bolster the Wildcats' frontcourt depth by slotting in next to Garrison and Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr.

2. Liam McNeeley

UConn's top incoming recruit is rated as one of the best freshman small forwards in the country. At 6-foot-7, McNeeley has great size for his position, and he can stretch the floor with a quality shooting stroke from downtown. His scouting report reads like the ideal replacement for Cam Spencer, who was invaluable to UConn for his shooting and distributing after arriving as a transfer from Rutgers.

McNeeley led his high school team to the Texas state championship two years ago, and though he wouldn't be asked to take on a leadership role right away on such an upperclassman-laden team, his development as a freshman could still yield on-court results this year on a team that hopes to contend for an SEC title. Playing behind Brea, who led the country by shooting 49.8% from three last year, would be an invaluable learning experience.

The transfer portal has taken on such an outsized role in how head coaches shape their teams in recent years, but usually, it's seniors who make the biggest impact in the portal. Landing McNeeley wouldn't be the kind of win-now move you'd expect from a coach who definitely needs to make a strong first impression at his new job, but it would be the kind of smart play that could pay dividends down the road.

1. Alex Karaban

This one may be a bit of a pipe dream, but there's no denying the impact it would have on Kentucky if Pope could somehow pull this off. Alex Karaban was a key contributor to both of UConn's national title-winning teams these past two years, and though he tested the NBA Draft waters, he recently decided to come back to school.

Even if Hurley left, it's likely that Kimani Young would succeed him as head coach, and it's hard to imagine Karaban leaving the Huskies longtime assistant high and dry. In the event that UConn went outside the program to hire Hurley's replacement, though, who knows? Karaban would have an offer from every serious team in the land, and after tasting nothing but success the last two years, he'd want to go somewhere that had the same championship-or-bust mentality.

Pope's offensive system relies heavily on spacing the floor and shooting the three, and Karaban's ability from deep would form a lethal combo with Brea to give opposing defenses fits. The rising junior is also an excellent rebounder and defender. As I wrote before the national championship game, Karaban "is a perfect complementary player." Who couldn't use one of those?