Mark Pope on the cusp of MAJOR recruiting momentum before coaching a real game
The record books indicate Mark Pope hasn’t coached a game yet at Kentucky — his 71-point masterpiece against KWC didn’t count, unfortunately — but he’s already got the Wildcats rolling going into his first season in Lexington. There was plenty to love about the first exhibition win, just as there was in the Blue-White scrimmage, Big Blue Madness and Pro Day.
Oh, and how about those two big-time in-state recruiting wins he picked up in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno — two top-25 prospects nationally? Yeah, that was a fun stretch, too.
Pope has nailed just about every move since he took the job back in April, starting with the coaching staff and roster through the preseason action with the real stuff just days away. A feel-good blowout this week vs. Minnesota State to close out the exhibition schedule would be welcomed, as well. But what about some added serious recruiting momentum before the first-year coach picks up what hopes to be his first win as a Wildcat?
It’s what’s next, however, that could be next-level huge for Pope — and it’s reasonable, if not likely.
Remember all of that buzz in September about a potential package deal with Lewis and five-star forward Caleb Wilson to Kentucky? Yeah, that hasn’t slowed down in recent weeks and the first domino is about to fall toward that possibility, only making Lexington a more appealing destination for the latter.
Wilson is the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 power forward in the class of 2025, wildly versatile and skilled at 6-9, 205 pounds. One of the best defenders on the EYBL circuit this summer with major offensive upside, he’s a premium talent and an immediate game-changer for any recruiting class — particularly for Pope as he looks for his first non-local top-10 commitment at Kentucky. And as things stand today, the Wildcats are seen as the favorite, holding a 72.6 percent chance to land him in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
North Carolina is seen as Kentucky’s top competitor while Arkansas, Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Tennessee are among the others still pushing for his services. NIL is a major topic of conversation in his
