WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the worst kept secret in college basketball, Kentucky’s Kyle Wiltjer is transferring to Gonzaga, sources confirmed to SNY.tv Friday.
The news was first reported by CBSSports.com
The 6-foot-10 Wiltjer recently visited Gonzaga. The Oregon native also considered Oregon and Oregon State, among others. He will have to sit a year per NCAA transfer regulations unless he obtains a waiver.
Wiltjer is friendly with Gonzaga junior guard Kevin Pangos, who are both are members of the Canadian National Team Development roster.
Pangos told SNY.tv at the Nike Skills Academy that Wiltjer discussed transferring on the team’s recent trip to China.
“He was talking about it, not a lot because he wanted to get his mind away from it, but he was thinking about it a lot on the trip (to China),” Pangos told SNY.tv.
“I told him obviously I would love to have him at Gonzaga if he chose to leave Kentucky, but I’m not gonna pressure him too much. He’s my friend and whatever decision he makes, he has to live with. I hope he comes back and to play with him, but we’ll see.”
At Kentucky, Wiltjer saw a limited role in 2012 for a Wildcats team that went 38-2 and won the national championship.
As a sophomore last season, Wiltjer averaged 10.2 points on his way to earning SEC Sixth Man of the Year honors in what was a down year for the Wildcats.
That down season, complete with a first-round NIT loss at Robert Morris, is about to give way to one of the best recruiting classes ever assembled. The group is headlined in part by 6-foot-9 power forwards Julius Randle and Marcus Lee, and 6-foot-10 center Dakari Johnson. Therefore, playing time figured to be tough to come by if Wiltjer had stayed.
“For sure he would be a focal point and that’s why he possibly wants to go to our school and that’s why we want him to come,” Pangos said. “He’s the type of guy you can build around. For me to be able to play with him for one year at least, it would be great and I think we could do something special.”
