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Israeli guard Or Ashkenazi drawing interest from Kentucky
A new name to monitor.
chrisbeasmore A sports writer for A Sea of Blue. Beasmore helps to cover Kentucky football and basketball recruiting and the big games coming up for Kentucky sports.
Could the Kentucky Wildcats be exploring the international market for its next standout?
According to a report from On3’s Joe Tipton, the Wildcats are among more than a dozen programs showing interest in Or Ashkenazi, a 6-foot-5 guard from Israel.
At 21 years old, Ashkenazi already boasts three years of professional experience in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and is now weighing the possibility of transitioning to college basketball.
The lead recruiter for Ashkenazi is assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who reportedly reached out to Ashkenazi’s agency, according to Jacob Polacheck of KSR+.
Alongside Kentucky, a host of other programs have expressed interest in the Israeli guard, including Auburn, Kansas State, Ohio State, Rutgers, Grand Canyon, Northern Illinois, Western Carolina, Cal Baptist, Bowling Green, Murray State, Davidson, and Marshall, as reported by Joe Tipton.
Over the past three seasons, Ashkenazi has built his professional career with Hapoel Eilat in Israel’s top-tier basketball league. His breakout year came during the 2023-24 season, where he showcased his versatility by averaging 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals across 24.1 minutes per game. Ashkenazi shot 35.8% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, demonstrating his ability to contribute in multiple facets of the game.
While the process for transitioning a three-year professional basketball player from another country into the college ranks might be complex, the interest from numerous schools suggests there’s a viable pathway for eligibility.
Although the exact rules and regulations for the move are unclear, the number of programs like Kentucky, Auburn, and Ohio State showing interest suggests there’s very much a path to college eligibility.
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Former Kentucky basketball coach Cal taunts Oakland “You want to beat me again?”
In a twist of college basketball fate, John Calipari found himself on the opposite end of the court from Oakland University. This time, however, it was under the banner of his new team, the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Calipari, a name synonymous with college basketball thought he finally found the team to break the second weekend drought. However, he had his 15-year tenure at Kentucky end with an unexpected and stinging first-round loss to the No. 14 seed Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the NCAA Tournament. This upset was not just a loss but a catalyst for change, an event that marked the end of an era in Lexington and the beginning of a new chapter in Fayetteville.
After the defeat, which saw Kentucky fall 80-76, Calipari made the surprising announcement that he would be stepping down from his position at Kentucky. The move was quickly followed by his appointment as the head coach at Arkansas, a team in the same Southeastern Conference but with its own ambitions to reclaim basketball prominence.
Fast forward to a recent game, and the narrative took another turn. Arkansas, now led by Calipari, faced the same Oakland team that had been the harbinger of his Kentucky exit. The match was a chance for redemption for Cal. Arkansas trounced Oakland with a convincing 92-62 victory.
