Arizona landed a notable transfer on Tuesday night as former Kentucky guard Jemarl Baker Jr. announced his commitment to the Pac-12 program on Twitter.
A former four-star prospect who never earned consistent minutes with Kentucky, Baker opted to head West as the California native should become a key piece for Arizona once he’s eligible. After missing his freshman season with a season-ending knee injury, Baker returned to Kentucky’s rotation for the 2018-19 season as he averaged 2.3 points per game in 9.1 minutes per contest.
Known as a perimeter threat, Baker never consistently found his shooting touch for Kentucky last season as he only shot 31 percent from three-point range. Baker will have to sit out the 2019-2020 season due to NCAA transfer rules, but given his knee injury, he should have three seasons of eligibility remaining if he petitions the NCAA for the extra year.
While Baker couldn’t establish himself at arguably the deepest program in America, playing at Arizona could be a better fit as he’ll have a year to acclimate with the new Wildcats before taking the floor.
New Beginnings, 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/BGpRFrpaqD
— Jemarl Baker Jr. (@jemarlbakerjr) May 15, 2019