Kentucky men’s basketball utilized its 15th and final open roster spot on Saturday, earning a commitment from Missouri transfer, Mark Mitchell.

On3’s Joe Tipton broke the news on Saturday evening that Mark Mitchell is suiting up for the Kentucky Wildcats in 2026-27.

The 6-foot-9 forward received a federal court ruling Friday afternoon that officially granted him a fifth year of eligibility, and soon after, he officially entered his name in the transfer portal with a “Do Not Contact” tag.

The commitment from Mitchell came not too long after Michigan State transfer and fellow forward Jaxon Kohler, who was also granted a fifth year of eligibility, chose to take his talents to head coach Kevin Young and the BYU Cougars over Kentucky.

Mitchell began his collegiate career in the ACC with Duke, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Mizzou ahead of the 2024-25 season.

This past season, Mitchell had his strongest year yet, averaging 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, all of which were team-highs.

The Kansas City, Kansas native concluded the year holding the Tigers’ second-highest field-goal percentage, shooting 54.7% from the field, only sitting behind center Shawn Phillip Jr.’s immaculate 68.3% shooting from the field.

Mitchell manufactured some phenomenal performances this past season, recording three separate double-doubles against VMI, Oklahoma and South Carolina, while reaching 30-plus points twice, once against Arkansas in the regular season (32 pts) and once against UK, believe it or not, in the second round of the SEC Tournament (32 pts).

In Missouri’s 80-66 Round of 64 defeat to No. 7 Miami in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Mitchell contributed 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal, while shooting 40% from the field and 75% (3-4) from beyond the 3-point arc.

The newest Wildcat joins Malachi Moreno, Franck Kepnang, Kam Williams and Ousmane N’Diaye in the frontcourt, giving Kentucky a much more imposing presence up front; not that the other four couldn’t hold it down, but Mitchell provides additional depth with a serious ability to score points and rebound, which is never a negative.

Mitchell will be formally introduced to Big Blue Nation on Friday, Oct. 2 during UK’s annual Big Blue Madness event. Following that, the Cats will host their first exhibition showdown against Arkansas Little Rock on Friday, Oct. 16 inside Rupp Arena.

Tipoff times and viewing logistics for both Big Blue Madness and UK’s game against the Trojans are both yet to be announced at this time, but one things for sure: both events are creeping closer, and now with an exciting late off-season addition, fans should be gleeful with more excitement for the upcoming season.

If you enjoyed this story, follow us on social media for more Kentucky coverage, breaking news, and analysis delivered as it all unfolds. Over 150,000+ already do! We’re on Facebook, X/Twitter, TikTok, and more. Go Cats!