Mark Pope has received three top-35 commitments in his first high school recruiting class, including two high 4-star commits in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno.

However, his first top-10 prospect still eludes him after missing out on Caleb Wilson last month… at least for now.

Over the last few weeks, Pope and his staff have focused heavily on top-five prospect Nate Ament.

Ament, the second-ranked power forward in the 2025 class, cut his list down to five schools earlier this week: Duke, Louisville, Tennessee, Arkansas, and the Kentucky Wildcats.

The 6-foot-9 prospect has visited each of them except Arkansas over the last five months, with a decision expected in the next month or so. Where does each program stand?

According to Joe Tipton of On3, Louisville and Duke have “positioned themselves” the best in this recruitment, giving Pat Kesley and the Cardinals a slight lead. However, there is still time, and one thing that could shake things up the most is NIL, reported to be one of Ament’s biggest priorities.

Elsewhere at On3, Jamie Shaw did his own update, where he said this could be down to a Kentucky vs. Louisville battle.

“Speaking with sources at this point in time it does sound like there is a split room around Nate Ament with Duke, Louisville, and Kentucky. With the intel I am currently getting, I would not be surprised to see this ultimately come down to a Kentucky and Louisville battle,” Shaw wrote, later adding that a decision could come in the next few weeks.

Ament is fresh off a visit to Kentucky, where he saw Rupp Arena at its best as the Wildcats completed the season sweep of Tennessee. That being his most recent visit, along with Pope visiting for Ament’s Senior night, the hope is it made a lasting impact, but will it be enough?

Time will tell, but the Cats are a legitimate contender to land Ament.

Be sure to read Shaw’s update here.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

Following a tough road loss to Alabama, the Kentucky Wildcats look to bounce back as they travel to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners started the season 13-0, going undefeated in their non-conference slate, including wins over Arizona, Michigan, and Louisville. However, they’re 4-10 in SEC play, putting them firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. A win over a top-20 Kentucky team would certainly bolster their resume following a huge home win over Mississippi State, who Kentucky is battling for SEC Tournament seed positioning.

ESPN currently gives the Sooners a 55% chance of making the Big Dance.

Led by fourth-year head coach Porter Moser, he is likely coaching for his job, as he has yet to make an NCAA Tournament in Norman.

The Wildcats will be taking on a desperate team with a desperate coach on the road while likely shorthanded. That’s no easy task.

Let’s take a look at the matchup.

Dominate Rebounding

Averaging less than 33 rebounds per game, Oklahoma is the worst rebounding team in the SEC. For comparison, Kentucky averages more than 39 rebounds per game.

Head coach Porter Moser explains that the Sooners struggle with rebounding “in the trenches,” which has led to some very lopsided rebound battles. The most notable coming against Texas A&M just a few weeks ago, losing the rebounding battle 44-19. In that game, the Aggies had more offensive rebounds than Oklahoma had total rebounds.

There is no big size difference. It simply comes down to who wants the ball more. Kentucky needs to crash the boards hard.

Fix the Turnovers

What Oklahoma lacks in rebounding, they try to make up for on the defensive end. While not a great defensive team overall, they do turn their opponents over 13 times per game, with nearly eight steals per game.

That defensive havoc has given a lot of teams trouble. Missouri, one of the most efficient offenses in the country, recently turned the ball over 15 times to the Sooners.

Without a veteran point guard available, Kentucky has turned the ball over 12 or more times in three straight games. They need to try to keep that number under 10 against Oklahoma.

Pound the Paint

Oklahoma defends the 3 very well, ranking in the top 20 in that category, forcing teams into shooting less than 30% from deep. However, they are not great at defending inside, allowing teams to shoot nearly 55% on two-point shots.

Amari Williams has been playing at an elite level, averaging 15 points on 65 percent shooting inside. He is primed to continue that against the Sooners, but Otega Oweh and Andrew Carr need to have big games as well.

If they are taking averaging in the paint, that should open up opportunities from 3. Carr could even slip out to the corner like he did several times against Alabama.

Opposing Players to Watch

F Jalon Moore 6-7, 215 lbs

• 17.0 PPG (8th in SEC)
• 5.7 RPG
• 38.2% 3P

G Jeremiah Fears 6-4, 182 lbs

• 15.9 PPG
• 4.0 APG (8th in SEC)
• 4.0 RPG

G Duke Miles 6-2, 188 lbs

• 10.1 PPG
• 2.1 APG
• 43.8% 3P

Kentucky Basketball vs. Oklahoma Sooners

Time: 9 PM ET on February 26th, 2025
Location: Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma
TV Channel: SEC Network
Online Stream: ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
Radio: Tom Leach and Jack Givens will have the call on the UK Sports Radio Network.
Replay: WatchESPN and SEC Network (check local listings).
Rosters: UK | OU
Stats to Know: UK | OU
KenPom: UK | OU
Team Sheet: UK | OU

Odds: FanDuel Sportsbook has Kentucky favored by 1.5 points with an over/under of 163.5. BartTorvik gives the Cats a 62% chance at Victory. ESPN is at 60.8%, followed by KenPom at 57%. EvanMiya is almost at a coin flip at 51.3%, which is with the expectation that Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson are not available.

Predictions: Haslametrics (83-78) and BartTorvik (85-81) are the models that give Kentucky a two-possession win. KenPom (84-82) and EvanMiya (80-79) pick Kentucky a single bucket. I think the Cats pull out a close one against a desperate Oklahoma team, 84-80.

Send us your Kentucky vs. Oklahoma score predictions in the comments section!

Go CATS!

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

At 18-9 (7-7 in SEC play), Kentucky is poised to head into March as a strong competitor on the 3/4 seed line, barring any unexpected collapse. Despite their unpredictable performances in conference play, the 24-25′ Wildcats have impressed many with a strong resume of signature wins and a kindred spirit drawn from blue and white teams of old.

Yet after their latest blowout loss at Alabama, Mark Pope isn’t satisfied.

“Clearly, we have to get way better,” he said, following the game. Despite scoring 83 points down two starters, and against a top five team at that, Coach Pope is focused on refining the issues.

A Whole New Ballgame

He continued, “We’re game three in,” in reference to what has essentially been a new season for the team in dealing with the onslaught of injuries that have come their way. “I’m proud of our young guys’ effort. They are getting better, and we gotta keep getting better faster.”

In losing all three of his primary point guard options, as well as forward Andrew Carr for an extended stretch, Pope has turned to freshmen Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry for answers, and, in time. they’ve begun to deliver.

Perry saw impact minutes first, filling in for the injured Kriisa and spelling Lamont Butler when he needed it. Then, it was Trent Noah’s turn, shooting a consistent clip from long range and providing crucial scoring when Kentucky needed it.

Now, most recently, Collin Chandler has entered the mix in similar fashion, boasting two straight games with multiple buckets and a particularly strong six-rebound performance at home to propel the ‘Cats to victory against Vanderbilt.

Good, and undoubtedly exciting, but not quite good enough – at least not yet.

Making Our Mistakes

“We have to play some perfect basketball in terms of only making our mistakes, not making mistakes that aren’t us,” he went on. “There were too many tonight where it was mistakes that weren’t the way we play.”

Kentucky chalked up 14 assists to 13 turnovers in the loss, a razor thin margin that may shed some light on Pope’s insistence on the team “making mistakes that aren’t us.” Either way, he wants more out of the unit he has now, all asterisks aside.

Their next opportunity for improvement comes at Oklahoma on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The ‘Cats will look to snag a solid conference win on the road before heading back home to take on the #1 Auburn Tigers that weekend. The SEC never stops pulling, and it’s up to Coach Pope and his Kentucky team to keep hold of the rope.