Mark Pope said in a video this past week that the staff was working hard to shore up the frontcourt. They have done that, making the frontcourt a whole lot more physical with their latest addition.

Washington transfer center Franck Kepnang has signed with the Kentucky Wildcats, KYInsider has learned.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound bruiser out of Cameroon is set to bring a skillset that has been missing from Mark Pope’s roster: a physical defensive enforcer who can protect the paint and rebound at a high level, a critical archetype for SEC play.

Kentucky first held a Zoom call with Kepnang on Tuesday, per KYInsider sources, and it didn’t take long for the Wildcats to close the deal.

Kepnang arrives in Lexington as one of the most experienced players in college basketball. Currently 24 years old, turning 25 this October, he has played four seasons at Washington, following two at Oregon. He also brings one of the most unique eligibility situations as well.

Three knee injuries cut short three of his four seasons with the Huskies, but he is expected to receive an NCAA medical hardship waiver to compete in a seventh college season. His length injury history will certainly create some worry given Kentucky’s injury luck in recent seasons, but Kepnang is expected to play between 15-20 minutes per game in a reduced role from his time at Washington.

This past season for the Huskies, Kepnang averaged 7.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game, ranking second in the Big Ten in blocks. His 9.9% block rate ranked 14th nationally, and EvanMiya rated him as Washington’s most efficient defender.

He is not a volume scorer, and he doesn’t need to be with this roster.

Formerly a top-50 recruit in the 2020 class, John Calipari briefly recruited Kepnang when he was still at Kentucky. Six years later, he joins the program, along with his teammate of two seasons, Zoom Diallo, who is expected to be the starting point guard.

You could make a case that Kentucky has upgraded its roster in several areas, but one area where they haven’t to this point, which has drawn criticism from Big Blue Nation, is the lack of a clear-cut star.

Of course, Kentucky fell short in the Tyran Stokes sweepstakes last week, but a new target has emerged, Iowa State transfer and the second-ranked player in the portal, Milan Momcilovic. Per sources, Kentucky held a Zoom meeting with Momcilovic and his representatives on Wednesday.

If that name sounds familiar, it should. Momcilovic torched Kentucky for 20 points, including four three-pointers, in March, sending the Wildcats home in the NCAA Tournament.

The 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward is currently testing the NBA Draft waters, but is projected as an early-mid second-round selection. Meaning, there is a strong chance he would earn more money with a return to college than by keeping his name in the draft. Especially so, if the NCAA passes the “5-in-5 rule” later this month, which could give him two more seasons of eligibility.

The numbers on Momcilovic are hard to ignore. He was one of the most lethal three-point shooters in the country last season, connecting at a 48.7% clip from beyond the arc. He averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors.

The Wildcats may not get that highly ranked player they have been in pursuit of, but it won’t be without effort.

Kentucky is one of the biggest brands in basketball. The brand that should be one of the program’s greatest recruiting weapons is being flipped into a bargaining chip on the other side of the table.

It’s not anything new.

Under John Calipari, who brought in top-ranked recruiting classes on an annual basis, there were prospects who had Kentucky as a hat on the table, using the brand to improve the optics of their recruitment. That has continued to Mark Pope in the NIL era, but it’s not just recognition on the line; it’s millions of dollars.

In a social media video of him answering fan questions, Pope is aware that is the case.

“Is Kentucky being used by players to leverage for more NIL?” a fan asked.

“Yes,” Pope answered. “We [Kentucky] are the biggest brand in basketball.”

Kentucky’s struggles this offseason show that concern is more apparent now than ever, and Pope’s acknowledgment of that only reinforces the reality of the situation.

The question now is how Pope and Kentucky’s NIL infrastructure respond. The Cats didn’t build one of the biggest brands in college basketball over decades to watch it be used to demand a king’s ransom.

With Kentucky having one of the biggest brands in the sport, part of it comes with the territory; it’s up to the staff to have a better read on recruitments and agent tactics. It’s too late to have an impact this offseason, but hiring someone experienced in agent negotiations and well-versed in NIL and the realities of modern college sports is necessary going forward.