Former Kentucky Basketball commit Acaden Lewis enters transfer portal and NBA Draft process

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Acaden Lewis (55) shoots against Utah State Aggies forward Zach Keller (32) in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images A year ago today, Acaden Lewis was still a Kentucky Basketball commit, and, knowing how the season played out, he would have been a huge player to have. Once Jaland Lowe went down, no one could initiate offense for others.

It worked occasionally with Denzel Aberdeen, but as we all watched against Iowa State, too often it just fell apart. On April 10th, Lewis decided he no longer wanted to play in Lexington and opted to go to Villanova. From a career standpoint, it probably made the most sense.

Mark Pope was not going to promise any significant playing time; he likes to spread the minutes around, plus Villanova had a lead guard spot open. His season went pretty good; he averaged 12 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds a night, playing 30 minutes a game. Only 2 players averaged more than 30 minutes a game for Kentucky, and that is with all the injuries.

Without those injuries, and no one could have predicted them, I don’t think Lewis comes close to the 30 a night he got with Nova. Now, though, he has decided to take his talent to another program or perhaps the NBA. In a statement released yesterday, Lewis thanked his coaches, his teammates, and Villanova fans for allowing him to play the “game he loved,” before declaring he would be going through the NBA Draft process while entering the Transfer Portal.