Jan 15, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Jerone Morton (11) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One player that Kentucky fans have not been talking about a whole lot this offseason is backup guard Jerone Morton. Last season at Washington State, Morton started 29 of 32 games, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per game for the Cougars. Two of his most impressive games of the season last year were against the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

In his two matchups against Gonzaga, Morton combined to score 31 points, proving that he is capable of scoring against a really good basketball team. Morton made a jump from Morehead State to Washington State in the WCC. He proved this season at WSU that he is ready to be a role player at the next level.

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Jerone Morton (11) controls the ball against the New Mexico Lobos in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It isn't hard to call it what it is, but Washington State was a very bad basketball team last season, and Morton is a good player. The hope is that this year at Kentucky, surrounded by a lot of really good basketball players, Morton is going to have a positive impact. What I like about the game of Morton is that he can play all over the backcourt. Knowing all of the injuries the Wildcats have dealt with during the Pope era, it is great to have a guard like this who can play all over.

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Morton also had a really good season shooting the three-ball a year ago at Washington State. He shot 38.7% from deep on 2.5 attempts per game, so he is another player on this Kentucky team who will be able to knock down the three-ball. This is a real plus in the Pope system and is another factor that will make Morton dangerous.

Jan 15, 2026; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Jerone Morton (11) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It will be interesting to see how many minutes Morton is going to play for the Wildcats this season. Obviously, he is going to be coming in the game for Alex Wilkins and Zoom Diallo, and these guys will be on the floor a lot. Morton will be competing for minutes with Mason Williams and Trent Noah, but BBN can expect to see him on the floor just about every game this season.

Morton isn't going to get a ton of attention from the national media, but he is the type of player who makes a team great. He is a bench option who is capable of going out and putting up double digits while shooting the three-ball well. Pope will take as many payers like this as he can get. Morton is going to be a great depth option for Pope and the Cats.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Jerone Morton is going to be a very underrated depth piece for Kentucky .