Reece Potter announces his return to Kentucky

Add another confirmed Wildcat for 2026-27. Just hours after Zoom Diallo signed up to be Kentucky’s starting point guard, redshirt big man Reece Potter announced he’d be back in the blue and white next season, too.

“I’m back. Let’s go to work, BBN,” Potter wrote Wednesday.

Potter, a 7-1 forward from Miami (OH) — but a Lexington native — came in shooting 39.8 percent from three in two seasons as a Redhawk. When he arrived, though, Mark Pope added that he was recovering from a ‘chronic health issue’ with a ‘long-term recovery,’ sidelining him for the entirety of the season while preserving another year of eligibility.

“Good player, he’s a good player. He’s a really good basketball player,” Pope said in mid-December. “There are some things that he does better than our other guys. He’s a high-IQ guy, got a great motor. He’s got some physicality. He’s probably the best guy on our team in finishing with one shoulder to the rim. He’s probably the best guy.”

With the health issue behind him, Potter told KSR after the season that he was planning to be back next season and was excited to see his dreams of playing for the school he grew up rooting for become a reality.

He felt he got better over the course of the season off and is now ready to make an impact as a Wildcat.

“Super excited. That’s kinda what’s striving me and getting me to keep going every day in practice and in the weight room,” he said. “I get to see what these dudes do every day and how much fun they get to have playing in Rupp Arena in front of these amazing fans. That’s been something that’s really pushed me to get to this point.

“I’m looking forward to next year, for sure.”

What kind of role does he expect to have and what is his anticipated impact? Whatever it takes to win basketball games, he’s ready to help.

“Whatever Pope wants — I don’t really care either way,” Potter told KSR. “I just want to be a part of this group again. I’ve been really fortunate this year and really happy this year. Whatever he wants, whatever he needs to try to keep winning as many championships as possible.”

Today, that becomes official: Reece Potter is returning as a Kentucky Wildcat.