Former Kentucky commit Acaden Lewis will enter the transfer portal

Acaden Lewis was a huge recruiting win for Mark Pope at the time. But after Lewis went elsewhere for his freshman season, could he find his way back to Lexington?

According to On3’s reporting, Lewis plans to enter his name into the transfer portal once the window officially opens on Tuesday, April 7. He also intends to test the NBA Draft waters while maintaining his collegiate eligibility. The 6-foot-2 point guard will have three years of eligibility remaining if he elects to stay in the college ranks.

Lewis was named to the All-Big East Second Team this past season for Villanova, also making the Big East All-Freshman Team as a unanimous choice. He set freshman records at the program in assists (176) and steals (63), averaging 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, three rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 30.5 minutes per outing in 2025-26 across 33 games played — all as a starter.

NEWS: Villanova guard Acaden Lewis will enter the @TransferPortal and declare for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility, he told @On3.

The 6-foot-2 freshman averaged 12.2 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game this season, earning All-Big East Second Team honors.… pic.twitter.com/ShR9R5u7Vy

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 5, 2026

A former four-star recruit and top 30 prospect out of Sidwell Friends (Washington, DC), Lewis committed to Pope and the Wildcats in November 2024 over Duke and UConn. The lefty floor general joined homegrown talents Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno as Kentucky’s trio of 2025 high school commits. Lewis was brought in with the expectation that he would see extended playing time as a true freshman.

But on April 5, 2025, Kentucky landed a commitment from Pitt transfer guard Jaland Lowe to serve as Pope’s PG1. Lewis decommitted from UK five days later as Villanova quickly zeroed in. He ended up choosing the other Wildcats over the likes of Georgia, St. John’s, and Miami (FL). Neither Lowe nor Johnson ended up having the season in the backcourt many hoped for at Kentucky in 2025-26, and both have already announced intentions to transfer this offseason.

Lewis went on to make an immediate impact in year one at Villanova as a table-setter. He graded out as an elite playmaker and steals creator under head coach Kevin Willard, while also showing an ability to score around the rim, but struggled with his outside shooting. Lewis shot just 27 percent from deep on three attempts per contest last season to go along with a 58.3 percent mark from the free-throw line.

Kentucky will need a starting point guard this offseason. Will Pope look to try things again with Lewis?

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