By LARRY VAUGHT
Just in case anyone thought there was even a slim chance that Johnny Juzang might change his mind and return to Kentucky, he made it clear Tuesday that was not going to happen.
Juzang put his name into the transfer portal Friday and announced on social media Tuesday that his top six schools are Arizona, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas Tech, UCLA and Villanova.
That top six shoots down another theory that Juzang was homesick — as John Calipari indicated the player told him — and wanted to be closer to his family in California since Villanova and Notre Dame are not exactly close to California.
Juzang told 247Sports writer Evan Daniels that he liked the “styles of play” with those six teams and described them as realistic fits for him.
Translation: Juzang thinks his chances to play immediately if the NCAA does vote this summer to let transfers be eligible without sitting out a yer as most expect. Kentucky could well lose three guards — Tyree Maxey, Immanuel Quickley and Ashton Hagans — to the NBA but Juzang apparently didn’t think he could play in front of UK signees Terrence Clarke and Brandon Boston or maybe returning UK wings Keion Brooks and Dontaie Allen. Maybe he was worried Calipari would add another wing player for next year, too.
Juzang played in 28 games and averaged 2.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game but steadily improved. He played a key role in UK’s season-ending win at Florida. He made nine of his final 18 3-point shots, including 3-for-3 in a career-high 13 point outing in a win at Tennessee.
“From the bottom of my heart I’m going to miss this place,” Juzang said when he left Kentucky in a statement released by UK.
Just apparently not missing it so much that he’s had any trouble listing his top six schools in just a few days.