Are the Kentucky Wildcats considering an international talent for their next key player?
According to a report by Joe Tipton from On3, the Wildcats are among over a dozen schools interested in Or Ashkenazi, a 6-foot-5 guard from Israel.
At just 21 years old, Ashkenazi has already gained three years of professional experience in the Israeli Basketball Premier League and is now contemplating a move to college basketball.
The main recruiter pursuing Ashkenazi is assistant coach Mikhail McLean, who reportedly contacted Ashkenazi’s agency, as noted by Jacob Polacheck from KSR+.
In addition to Kentucky, several other programs are also interested in the Israeli guard, including Auburn, Kansas State, Ohio State, Rutgers, Grand Canyon, Northern Illinois, Western Carolina, Cal Baptist, Bowling Green, Murray State, Davidson, and Marshall, as reported by Joe Tipton.
Over the last three seasons, Ashkenazi has developed his career with Hapoel Eilat in Israel’s top basketball league. His standout season was the 2023-24 year, where he demonstrated his versatility by averaging 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in 24.1 minutes per game. He shot 35.8% from the field and 25% from three-point range, indicating his ability to make contributions in various aspects of the game.
Although navigating the transition from a three-year professional player in another country to college basketball may be complicated, the interest from multiple schools indicates a potential avenue for eligibility.
While the specific rules surrounding this transition remain uncertain, the number of institutions like Kentucky, Auburn, and Ohio State expressing interest points to a feasible path to college eligibility.
