Kentucky Lands Former Lexington Star Jerone Morton in Major Homecoming Move
Kentucky basketball has landed Washington State transfer guard Jerone Morton, a Lexington native, in a significant homecoming move for the program. The addition provides much-needed backcourt depth and experience for Mark Pope's team following several recruiting misses. Morton, a former Kentucky high school standout, returns to play in front of his home crowd after developing into a reliable shooter and playmaker in the transfer portal.
- ▪Jerone Morton, a Lexington native, led George Rogers Clark High School to a Kentucky Sweet 16 state championship in 2021–22 and earned tournament MVP honors.
- ▪After going unranked out of high school, Morton developed at Morehead State before transferring to Washington State, where he shot 38.7% from three in 32 games.
- ▪Kentucky missed on top recruits like Tyran Stokes, Robert Wright III, and Donnie Freeman before securing Morton’s commitment.
- ▪Morton’s return offers him a chance to play in front of his home fanbase while filling a key backcourt role for the Wildcats.
- ▪Mark Pope’s team needed experienced guards after losing Collin Chandler, Denzel Aberdeen, and Jaland Lowe from the roster.
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By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.It hasn’t been smooth sailing for Mark Pope on the recruiting trail or in the portal lately.In the transfer portal, Kentucky missed on top point guard Robert Wright III, who returned to BYU, and highly regarded forward Donnie Freeman, who chose St. John's after two years at Syracuse.The headline miss, however, came April 29, when No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes committed to Kansas despite months of heavy pursuit, arguably Pope’s biggest swing-and-miss to date.
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