Notre Dame transfer Jalen Haralson quickly linked to school no one wants to see him at

It didn't feel great to hear that Jalen Haralson was headed to the transfer portal, leaving the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for another program. Now that he has been tied to a few programs, salt is only being rubbed in the still-open wound.

Haralson was the Irish's star freshman in a season that was filled with disappointments. His transfer news was just the latest letdown.

Well, make that disappointment even bigger because Haralson has now been tied to the Kentucky Wildcats, led by head coach Mark Pope, who isn't exactly known for his player development.

Mark Pope could ruin Jalen Haralson if he joins Kentucky

Just this season, Kentucky boasted four freshmen on its roster, including Braydon Hawthorne, who never played, as well as Andrija Jelavic, Jasper Johnson, and Malachi Moreno.

All three of those later freshmen were four-star recruits just a year ago. Now, they're all coming off a disappointing season. Johnson, who entered the transfer portal, has even lost any respectable rating, now labeled as a zero-star prospect in the portal.

Simply put, if a player as young as Haralson transfers to Kentucky to play under Pope, he greatly risks running his development into the ground.

Of course, just like any other young basketball player, Haralson's dream and ultimate goal is to play at the next level, in the NBA, and the possibility of him doing so could be greatly and negatively affected if he enters Pope's "developmental" program.

At the end of the day, Haralson won't be with the Fighting Irish next season. However, Notre Dame fans can still wish the best for him, and most do.

Kentucky is undeniably far from the best program for him to head to next, and fans (of the sport in general) should hope that he finds a different place to call home.