Men's Basketball

March Has Arrived: How Far Can Kentucky Go?

When the rubber meet the road – injuries, controversies, questions and all – just how far can this Kentucky team go?

Published

1 year ago

March 12, 2025

Lane Mills

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope tried rally his team.

Matt Stone | IMAGN

When Mark Pope was hired last Spring, almost one year ago now, few people had any semblance of an expectation as to how his first March Madness would look. Whether or not he’d even get there was perhaps a more common question than whether or not he’d have a chance to win it all in his inaugural season.

Though it was hard for the Big Blue Nation not to get excited when Pope took a team he built in one month, marched into Atlanta for the Champion’s Classic and took down a highly touted, media-fueled Duke team in November.

It was with that win that the winds changed, and since then, the “first year grace” (if you will) that existed before the season began completely dissipated in favor of the same old hardened expectations from the most involved fanbase in college basketball.

The Standard

Kentucky Basketball is supposed to be the standard – Mark Pope has said as much himself. And while 21-10 (10-8) doesn’t exactly meet that desired mark, any critic would be remiss to ignore not only the seismic change of scenery for the program in Calipari’s leave, but the overwhelming injuries that the 24-25′ Wildcats have endured as well.

With Jaxson Robinson officially out for the season, Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr still operating below 100% and Kerr Kriisa remaining out and likely to utilize a medical redshirt, this is not the same team that beat Duke last year.

But it is still a good team; one that has found ways to win with their backs against the wall time and time again. And while missing players isn’t ideal, seeing the dust settle with certainty on those who remain bodes well for Pope’s strategy as a coach going forward.

Rotations and substitutions (perhaps the biggest point of contention in Pope’s tenure to this point) hardening as the season comes to a close and the madness begins should allow players to settle into their roles.

Those That Remain

Guys who’ve provided sporadic impact off the bench, like Trent Noah and Ansley Almonor, will be given the guaranteed chance going forward to blossom without interruption. That is the sort of thing that, assuming they play well, will set Kentucky apart from the rest later this month. If nothing else, Kentucky has depth, and that depth will finally be given the opportunity to grow upward without having their roots ripped out of the ground on a weekly basis.

It also helps that season-long starters like Amari Williams and Otega Oweh are hitting their stride. Oweh just leveled his former team on the road with a career high 28 points, and Amari Williams, despite the loss to Auburn, took the likely national player of the year in Johni Broome to task, tallying 13 points, 14 boards and 7 assists. Broome put up 3, 6 and 1, for comparison.

Would Kentucky rather have a fully healthy roster? Absolutely, but things taking shape means the final picture becomes a little clearer. If Kentucky is going to win, they’ll have to win with who they’ve got left. No hopeful returns, questionable comebacks, ifs, ands or buts.

Who they’ve got left toppled Tennessee just a few games back. Kentucky fans would benefit from finding a balance in their expectations. Anything can happen with the talent and experience that still hits the court for the ‘Cats game in and game out.

The Bigger Picture

Not to mention that, while it’s important to maintain the program’s identity as the best and nothing but, not every blue blood has high-level success on a yearly basis, especially in the sport as it stands today. For example, look Kansas’ and UConn’s struggles this season; the former came into the season as the top ranked team nationally, and the latter are hot off back-to-back championships.

Now? Both are ranked below UK and are projected to seed below them in the tournament, and neither employed a new coach at the midnight hour just last offseason. No matter what happens in the next few weeks, Mark Pope and Kentucky will be just fine.

End of the Line

So what does the end of the road look like? What would be acceptable, and what wouldn’t? You could ask one thousand fans that question and likely get one thousand different answers. But for a program going on six years without making it out of the second weekend in March, doing that alone should satisfy a lot of folks… for the time being.

Beat who you’re supposed to beat and battle until the buzzer otherwise. After all, it’s called March Madness for a reason – anything can happen. Don’t give up on our guys just yet.

BB Recruiting

James Madison Transfer Justin McBride to Visit Kentucky on Tuesday

Published

9 hours ago

April 17, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky will host James Madison transfer James McBride for a visit on Tuesday, after communicating with Mark Pope and the staff via Zoom video call.

James Madison Athletics

While much of the attention in the transfer portal goes to the top targets, you need to build a full roster. Still with starting spots to be claimed, Kentucky also looking at depth pieces. The most recent, James Madison transfer Justin McBride.

After talking to the staff this week via Zoom video call, McBride is scheduled to take a visit to Lexington on Tuesday.

A three-star transfer, ranked 201st overall according to 247Sports, McBride is being recruited by multiple power conference teams including Baylor and Cal, as well as SEC foes Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Out of high school, McBride was a four-star recruit, ranked in the top 150 nationally.

“He is a versatile player who has that IT factor about him. You can tell by the passion he plays with that there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” 247Sports asked program director Vonzell Thomas said as he evaluated McBride out of high school. “What I like about his game is his will to win. He does whatever it takes to win and not every kid has that mentality.”

From Texas, McBride committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Kansas and Arkansas, where he played alongside former Wildcat Bandon Garrison. There, he appeared in just 24 games, averaging just over five minutes per game.

Seeking a larger role, McBride entered the transfer portal and dropped to the mid-major level, committing to Nevada. With the Wolfpack he nearly tripled both his minutes and production, averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His most recent stop, James Madison this past season, McBride had a breakout year, averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

Entering his senior season, the 6-7, 240 pound McBride is eyeing a jump back to the power conference level, prioritizing fit at his next stop.

Will that be Kentucky?

McBride has good size and athleticism, and has an inside-out style of game. Meaning he can work his away around the paint, but can also space the floor with his shooting, grading fairly well as a catch and shoot guy. Overall, he ranks in the 97th percentile in scoring volume. That said, there is come consistency to be lacked on the defensive side.

BB Recruiting

Multiple Transfers Meet With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

The transfer portal is active, and Zoom stock is going up as college coaches are video chatting around the clock to build their rosters, including Kentucky.

On Wednesday, Mark Pope and the Kentucky staff added three more names to the Zoom list.

Alex Wilkins (Guard, Furman), 4⭐️, 46th-ranked transfer

Class: Sophomore
Physicals: 6-5, 175 lbs
Last season averages: 17.8 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 32.8% 3P

An underrated prospect coming out of high school, Wilkins splashed on the scene this year at Furman. As a freshman, he led his team to the NCAA Tournament, averaging 17.8 points and 4.7 assists and earning second team All-SoCon honors.

There were few players as critical to their team’s success as Wilkins, leading the SoCon in possession usage (34.4%) and shot usage (31.7%). That does lend some explanation to his poor shooting splits and turnover concerns (3.8 turnovers per game).

A quick, wirey guard, Wilkins is a capable scorer at all three levels, and can create for his teammates. However, he needs to add some muscle for power conference competition, and needs to have more consistent effort on the defensive end.

A freshman, those are both correctable things.

Isaac Celiscar (Forward, Yale), 4⭐️, 84th-ranked transfer

Class: Junior
Physicals: 6-6, 210 lbs
Last season averages: 13.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, 57.3% FG, 40.7% 3P

Isaac Celiscar is one of the most efficient, versatile players in the transfer portal.

The first takeaway, averaging 13.2 point per game with 57.3 percent shooting, he is extremely efficient on limited opportunities. Shooting nearly 41 percent from deep, he is a threat from deep as well. That efficiency carries over to his passing, as he averages more than three assists per game, on just 1.3 turnovers per game.

Celiscar grades out as a glue-guy with great offensive skills and good feel for the game, but he does have limitations in terms of his athleticism and shot creation.

Jalen Cox (Guard, Colgate), 3⭐️ , 149th-ranked transfer

Class: Senior
Physicals: 6-3, 180 lbs
Last season averages: 17.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 5.0 RPG, 52.1% FG, 36.5% 3P

Jalen Cox is the lowest ranked player Kentucky has reached out to, but the Wildcats need depth and Cox is a experienced guard with proven production.

Averaging 17.9 points and 5.3 assists (2.0+ assist-to-turnover ratio) per game on 52 percent shooting from the field, Cox is a versatile and efficient offensive player. He has also multiple conference All-Defense selections too, making him a two way player.

The biggest concern with Cox is his athletic ceiling and how that translates to power conference competition. However an experienced two way player is a great rotation piece.

BB Recruiting

Top Five Transfer Paulius Murauskas Moves Up Call, Talks With Kentucky on Wednesday

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2026

Tristan Pharis

Kentucky met with Saint Mary's transfer Paulius Muruaskas, one of the top forwards in the transfer portal, on Wednesday and is looking to schedule a visit for him to come to Lexington.

Saint Mary's Athletics

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are as busy as anyone in the transfer portal. On Wednesday, they met with their biggest fish of this transfer portal cycle so far, Paulius Murauskas.

Originally scheduled for Thursday, the Wildcats met with Murauskas via Zoom video call on Wednesday, per source.

Currently ranked 4th overall in 247Sports transfer rankings, the top-ranked forward, Murauskas is the prototypical modern basketball player. Good size at 6-foot-8, 235 pounds, with the ability to create for himself and others, has a good handle, and overall good feel for the game.

Murauskas started his collegiate career at Arizona after some professional experience in Lithuania. Playing just five minutes per game with the Wildcats as a freshman, Murauskas transferred to Saint Mary’s, where he has flourished and earned All-Conference honors the last two seasons.

This past season, Murauskas averaged 18.4 points and 7.6 rebounds, on 48.2 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from deep. As for his weaknesses, he is not super athletic, and he does need to be more consistent with his shot.

Originally thought to follow former Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett to Arizona State, Murauskas is exploring all options. Following the Zoom, Kentucky is trying to get him on campus for a visit in the near future.