Connect with us

Men's Basketball

Takeaways From Kentucky Basketball Pro Day

Published

2 years ago

on

The Kentucky Wildcats hosted their 2024 pro day in front of all 32 NBA teams, here are the biggest takeaways.
Chet White | UK Athletics

In the 10th annual Kentucky Pro Day the Wildcats now had a different man at the helm but that did not change the objective. Show the NBA scouts the talent that the Wildcats are going to put on the court this year. We will be going over our biggest takeaways from the 1st Pro Day under new Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope.

THE CATS PLAY FAST

One of the most interesting things about this open practice was how Pope ran it to keep the players fast and always moving. This was shown no better than when he set the shot clock to 12 to force the players to play with urgency always looking for a shot.

We learned later that Pope usually sets the clock to 20 in his practices but moved it up to 12 to show the scouts just how fast these guys can play.

Advertisement

Coach Pope wants to put up points in any way necessary and you can tell that by watching any film from his tenure at BYU. With the talent he has already brought to Kentucky, you can expect exciting play to follow if pro day taught us anything.

Lamont Butler and Brandon Garrison Lead the Cats on Defense

While everyone raves about Pope’s offensive philosophy rightfully so, we cannot forget to mention the key players that will make the defense for this Kentucky team.

Starting with Lamont Butler is one of the best on-ball defenders in the country and will no doubt be the starting point guard for this team. Not to mention the voice of the Wildcats with his veteran leadership. Butler knows what it takes to win in March and will be the leader of this team.

While it’s almost certain Brandon Garrison will not be in the starting lineup for Kentucky come November, he will certainly get minutes off the bench because of the paint presence he brings.

Advertisement

The speed at which he moves while guarding the ball is also very impressive for someone of his size. That coupled with his ability to protect the rim will guarantee he gets minutes coming off the bench to guard some of the toughest bigs Kentucky will face.

Kentucky will Shoot the Lights Out

If it wasn’t obvious from the film of these players at their former schools, Pope went out and got him some shooters in his first offseason as the Kentucky basketball coach.

At any given point Kentucky is guaranteed to have four players on the court at all times who will be able to make the three at a high clip.

This helps with the shooting presence of Wake Forest transfer Andrew Carr who showed in the pro day that when he’s hot it’s hard for him to miss, coupled with Travis Perry who Pope said has been doing things that he’s “never seen at any level of basketball”.

Advertisement

Not to mention Dayton transfer Koby Brea who was a hot commodity this offseason with the likes of every blue blood after him in the portal. Honorable mention for Ansley Almonor and let’s not forget Jaxson Robinson’s ability to shoot from any spot on the floor including being the top guy to create his shot.

The Freshmen Surprise

Yes, this is one of the oldest teams in the country when it comes to experience on the floor in college basketball, but let’s not forget the guys playing their first years post-high school.

Collin Chandler has the highest ceiling out of everyone on the roster given what we saw tonight and considering it’s been two years since seeing the floor in a competitive basketball environment. The kid can play with his athleticism and when he gets more consistent from behind the arc, watch out.

Travis Perry needs no introduction the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky high school basketball history has gotten a ton of praise from Pope this offseason. Perry can shoot it with the best of them so don’t be surprised to see the kid get a good amount of minutes on this year’s roster.

Advertisement

Let’s not forget Trent Noah, the former South Carolina commit has shown early the potential he has in future years at UK. He may not get to see the floor much this year with the array of veterans Pope put on this year’s roster, but the kid is only going to get better.

Related Topics:
Advertisement

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Otega Oweh Selected No. 41 Overall in Second Round of the NBA Draft

Published

6 hours ago

on

June 24, 2026

By

Photo via Tristan Pharis

It’s sad to say goodbye to a superstar, a player who always had the ball in his hands when the clock ticked away, created countless memories and who’s name will always carry weight in any given conversation.

That superstar is Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, with his dream to play professional basketball coming true on the night of Wednesday, June 24. 

Selected with the No. 41 overall pick, the Miami Heat originally had rights to Oweh but would quickly move him to the Oklahoma City Thunder via trade.

Advertisement

The New Jersey native was a standout player in the NBA Combine in May, leaving behind an impressive body of work at Kentucky with 1,255 career points as a Wildcat. Oweh will more than likely be a two-player under league contract, but members of the Big Blue Nation know very well that he’s the type of personality to fight his way to the top.

Joining former Wildcats Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace, Oweh will now be the third member of the team to go from the bluegrass to the bright lights of the NBA.

The 6-foot-5 guard is now Mark Pope’s fourth draft pick ever, joining teammates Koby Brea (No. 41, Suns, 2025), Amari Williams (No. 46, Celtics, 2025) and Jayden Quaintance (No. 20, Spurs, 2026). 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Mark Pope Compares Justin McBride to Former Kentucky Star

Published

17 hours ago

on

June 24, 2026

By

Mark Pope says Justin McBride gives him "Julius Randle vibes." The James Madison transfer has shed 10+ lbs and is a Kentucky basketball early surprise.
UK Athletics

The Kentucky basketball team started practicing earlier this month, and one of the biggest surprise performers thus far has been James Madison transfer Justin McBride. One reason for that is the offseason work he has put in before arriving in Lexington.

McBride, who previously played for Oklahoma State, Nevada, and most recently, James Madison, is listed at 6’8 and 250 pounds on Kentucky’s roster list. Those listed numbers are bigger than any of his previous stops, but he is currently in the best shape of his career.

According to one source, McBride has lost 10-12 pounds of fat from his top playing weight at James Madison. That has allowed him to be more mobile in practice, a pleasant surprise to what the staff was expecting of him coming in.

Advertisement

Mark Pope had a comparison for McBride in a ‘Mark Pope vs. the Shot Clock’ segment on UK Sports Network.

“Julius Randle vibes, seriously,” Pope said.

Randle was the SEC Rookie of the Year and an All-American in his one season at Kentucky, so high praise for McBride. However, Pope is not comparing McBride to Randle in terms of talent, but in terms of style.

McBride grades excellent as a catch-and-shoot guy in analytics, shooting 40% from deep last season, an ability that Randle has shown in the NBA. Also similar to Randle, he can use his size to get to his spots in the paint and muscle his way for a rebound.

Advertisement

Having a bully-ball kind of player, who is also efficient from three-point range, is a welcome addition for a Kentucky program that has struggled with physicality in recent seasons.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Men's Basketball

Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance Drafted First Round by the San Antonio Spurs

Published

1 day ago

on

June 23, 2026

By

Brett Davis | IMAGN Images

It’s every kids dream to play professionally one day, let alone be able to play for the University of Kentucky on the way to the next level. 

Although Jayden Quaintance’s time with the Wildcats ended anticlimactically, his NBA dreams have officially come true at just 18 years old. 

The Cleveland, Ohio native began his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils, starting in all 24 games he played in. Before his unfortunate knee injury, Quaintance was good for nearly a nightly double-double, averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game to go along with 2.6 blocks a night. 

Advertisement

He would transfer to Kentucky ahead of his sophomore season, making his first appearance on Dec. 20 against St. John’s. Finishing the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, many members of the Big Blue Nation were confident that their superstar had finally debuted. 

Only appearing in three more games for the 2025-26 season, it was quite clear that his eyes were set on playing at the next level, not taking any chances of another injury. 

Selecting Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick, the Spurs have now added on to their elite front court and will likely utilize him as a two-way player. They drafted UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. just six picks later, proving that they plan to utilize some form of paint beast to go alongside superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Quaintance is Mark Pope’s first first-round pick in the NBA Draft ever, following Koby Brea and Amari Williams from Pope’s first season in the bluegrass, who both went early in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending