Connect with us

BB Recruiting

2023 Five Star Wing Set to Make Decision Tonight, Kentucky in the Top Two

Published

on

Photo via UK Athletics

Mookie Cook, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound, wing in the class of 2023 has announced that will be making his college decision tonight at 6:00 PM ET, per Joe Tipton.

Cook is down between Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Oregon, with reports listing Kentucky and Oregon as the top two. However, it looks like the Ducks may be in a better position, receiving the only two crystal ball predictions for Cook back in early March.

As a Portland native, Oregon is the hometown school and that is a big draw. Cook’s coach, Ed Gipson, iterated that in an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio, saying, “If Mookie Cook steps on campus, even when he goes on his visit out there, that’s going to be a real thing. You know what I’m saying? Everybody would go crazy about it.”

Advertisement

On the Kentucky side, Cook played at AZ Compass Prep in Arizona, the same team that the TyTy Washington played for in high school, and is close with the Wildcat guard. Washington and his family were even Cook’s hosts during his official visit to Kentucky back in January, with Cook citing Washington as “big bro”.

When asked about Kentucky’s pitch, Cook explained to KSR, “It just speaks for itself, Kentucky is Kentucky. They want me to come there and have a great legacy.”

Another thing to note is that there have been rumors of reclassification, but Gipson and Cook have said that is not seriously being considered “as of now”.

Cook is a consensus top-five recruit and whichever team is able to land Cook they are getting an elite wing and one that has admittedly modeled his game after two of the best two-way players in the NBA, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

Advertisement

Back in December of 2020, the consensus five-star recruit Cook was asked to give a scouting report of himself by Stock Risers, and this is what he had to say.

“I play both sides of the ball, offense, and defense. I can facilitate, I’m very versatile at 6-foot-7, I can guard any position 1-4, run the court hard and can shoot the three as well as bring the ball up. All-around game and I’m a team player.”

Who will come out on top? Oregon, the hometown school, or Kentucky with the teammate and family connections? We will find out tonight at halftime (estimated 6 PM ET) of the Geico Nationals on ESPNU.

Advertisement

BB Recruiting

Top 20 Prospect Taylen Kinney Set To Visit Kentucky

Published

on

James Weber | The Enquirer

Taylen Kinney, one of the top guards in the 2026 class and the No. 1 point guard in Kentucky, will take an official visit with the Wildcats beginning on June 24.

The Newport, Kentucky native has been inserted in a bit of a bidding war with Louisville and other premier schools after his official visit with the Cardinals, but of course the true recruiting powerhouse had to cast a line in hope of a bite.

KSR’s Jack Pilgrim caught a video of Kinney working with Mark Pope one-on-one on the morning of June 17 at the USA U19 Training Camp in Colorado Springs.

Advertisement

A picture of Kinney, along with Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson, two of Kentucky’s incoming freshman on this year’s squad, came out of the camp. Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 player in the class of 2026, who already took a visit to Kentucky recently, was also shown in the picture. All four players are Kentucky natives.

Kinney is a priority for Kentucky, and Pope planting the idea of being a Wildcat in his mind this past weekend certainly builds the hype of his commitment being a future reality.

However, we can’t act like Pat Kelsey hasn’t already beat Pope to the punch, and it may be too late to change Kinney’s mind on being a Cardinal.

“I probably talk to coach Kelsey twice a week,” Kinney said. “He talks to my parents multiple times a week. I talk to the whole staff all of the time.”

Advertisement

He later added on some words that no Wildcat fan would want to hear.

“They (Louisville’s staff) just told me that I was their guy,” Kinney said. “I fit perfectly into their system, and there’s no other school that I fit better into than them.

A common member of Big Blue Nation would likely think “yeah alright, wait until you get that Kentucky treatment,” and with the climate of today’s recruiting trail, who knows what can happen.

It will likely be a long time before the star guard makes an official decision, but who doesn’t like a good back-and-forth between two rival programs. The bell has already rung, and round one goes to the Cardinals, but the Wildcats are coming out swinging for round two.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

No. 1 Ranked Recruit Takes Official Visit to Kentucky

The top-ranked recruit in the nation, Tyran Stokes, took his official visit to Kentucky following a prior delay.

Published

on

Tyran Stokes takes his official visit to Kentucky.
Mark J. Rebilas | Imagn Images

Being from Louisville doesn’t necessarily make you a cardinal, and Mark Pope has set out to prove that in the biggest possible way.

The top-ranked overall recruit in next year’s class, Tyran Stokes, officially took a visit to Lexington on Sunday, June 8. This comes in lieu of many rumors that he’d canceled his visit altogether due to frustration with fans trying to dig for information online.

Last month in a cryptic post on X, Stokes said, “Why can’t y’all give a kid some privacy”. As curious as that was, especially given the proximity to his originally planned visit to Kentucky, it seems that the true issue had no bearing on his choice to hear Coach Pope’s plea. 

Advertisement

And, as Kentucky fans now know, sometimes that’s all it takes to get a guy in blue and white.

The Louisville native, at 6’7, 230, has become widely renowned for his strong slashing ability as a multi-threat scorer on the wing. Stokes is the sort of player that, nobody who you already have on your team, you make room for him. He’s got an intangible build made for the big leagues, and he’s not even out of high school yet.

Stokes is the kind of guy that’d have NBA scouts sitting court side in Rupp Arena. While that level of national buzz isn’t always a good thing, it’s hard to underscore the possibility, and excitement, of the top recruit in the nation committing to the Cats come 2026.

In the very least, Kentucky is in the race, alongside Kansas and Louisville as heavy pursuers. It’s never too early to look ahead, and, as usual, Pope and staff are doing just that with the biggest names in the game.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

BB Recruiting

Kentucky Earns Commitment From European Big Andrija Jelavic

Published

on

ABA League j.t.d./Dragana Stjepanovic

Earlier today, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats received the commitment from Andrija Jelavic, a 6-foot-11 big from Croatia.

As first reported by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, Jelavic is one of the most highly regarded European prospects that is taking his talent to the NCAA.

Soon to be 21 years old, Jelavic averaged 10.8 points per game on 60% shooting from the field to go along with 7.4 rebounds per game for Mega Superbet, the same club that NBA Champion and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic played for.

Advertisement

As a shock to most, who were expecting Pope’s next commit to be a guard of some sorts, international players can now sign lucrative NIL deals. Kentucky, along with several of the elite colleges, are now in the European market. 

Jelavic, with shades of current European big men, can do just about everything on the court. He can shoot, dribble, pass, finish at the rim, etc. With a very relevant comparison, Jelavic plays almost perfectly in the replacement role of Andrew Carr. 

His commitment now makes him the fifth member of Pope’s additions this offseason, joining Kam Williams, Jaland Lowe, Mouhamed Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance. 

With a 7’2” wingspan, joining an already impressive Kentucky frontcourt, it’s safe to say for certain that this new team will not lack in that department. 

Advertisement

Next year’s roster was loaded with talent already, but now with the addition of Jelavic, lots of questions are arising: Who will start? How many more players is Pope going to add? What will happen with the walk-ons? 

There’s plenty to think about for Pope and his staff before the season starts, but like he said back when he introduced himself to Big Blue Nation, “We’re here to win banners.” He’s going to make the moves he thinks will do just that for the Wildcats. 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending