Recruiting was a concern when Mark Pope was named the head coach of Kentucky back in April. Previously the coach at BYU, Pope was respected for his Xs and Os, but he never had a class ranked inside the Top 75.

A big reason for that was the unique set of challenges of recruiting at BYU. That included finding players willing to honor the school’s strict honor code, which doesn’t permit students to consume tea or coffee on campus. Now at Kentucky, Pope no longer has that level of restriction. Having hired two of the best recruiters in the country and using one of the biggest brands in the sport, he is going after some of the nation’s best.

Over the last month, he has already received commitments from two Top 25 prospects from the Lexington area, in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. Those two form the second-best class in the 247Sports rankings at the moment, and more are sure to be added.

How is Mark Pope attracting that talent? An infectious energy and enthusiasm for his alma mater that he now coaches for.

“The first time talking to him you could tell he’s got amazing energy,” five-star prospect Tounde Yessoufou said of Pope this summer. “His energy man, like I said his energy is amazing. Being around coaches like that, I just feel like he would push you hard to be the best you can be. So I’m just loving him.”

That energy is helping Pope and the staff build connections with players and their families. “They’re great people,” five-star Chris Cenac said of the staff this summer. “They FaceTime me often, they talk to me a lot. Great sense of humor, great guys, it’s great getting to know them honestly.”

Ryan Hampton, the No. 1 prospect in the 2027 class, is one of the latest recruits to receive interest from Kentucky. The standout sophomore cannot be contacted directly by coaches until July 15th due to NCAA guidelines, but Pope has made an impression on his father.

“Mark Pope is recruiting to put Kentucky where it should be: Back at the top.”

Kentucky has already landed two top 30 players in the 2025 recruiting cycle in big man Malachi Moreno and combo guard Jasper Johnson, who are both from the surrounding Lexington area. The staff also have their eyes on another top guard in the 2025 class, four-star combo guard Acaden Lewis who attends Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. 

The staff including head coach Mark Pope, assistants coaches Alvin Brooks, Cody Feuger and Jason Hart, all made the trip to DC to visit with the speedy and athletic guard and his family on Monday.

It was “super cool” Lewis’ father told KY Insider. He talked about the staff looking to make a genuine connection and was very impressed that they visited them at the Trinidad Recreation Center, one of the rough parts of the DMV.

It has been questioned if Pope would bring in two top players at the same position, and especially so with Jasper Johnson’s recent commitment. With a full staff visit, it is clear that he wants to. While talking to Lewis and his family, the Kentucky staff pitched that the two guards’ could co-exist. Explaining that Lewis’ point guard skills complement Johnson’s scoring abilities, putting shooters and playmaking bigs around them.

With a 6-2, 170-pound frame Lewis is one of the more dynamic guards in the country. Having the ability to operate effectively as a true point guard, he can also score via an improved jump shot or with some creativity around the rim. To add, he has real toughness and swagger to his game.

A commitment could be looming as Lewis plans to commit before he signs his NLI in November during the early signing period. Lewis is down to eight schools including Michigan, Kentucky, Syracuse, Duke, UCONN, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn with visits to be scheduled soon as well. Both sides are working to get Lewis in for a visit this fall.

With the recruiting period reopening earlier this month, the Kentucky Basketball staff has been busy on the recruiting trail over the past week, checking in with and visiting several top recruits ahead of the start of the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look.

2025 Chris Cenac, No. 16 overall, No. 1 Center

One of the first players Mark Pope went to visit was 2025 five-star prospect, Chris Cenac, who is coming off a breakout summer. One might assume, Kentucky’s chances are less with the recent commitment of Malachi Moreno, but the pair believe they can coexist in the frontcourt.

With a 6-10, 230-pound frame Cenac already has NBA size. Offensively, he is everything that Pope likes in a big. He can run the floor, shoot inside and out, and can make players for his teammates. However, there is room for him to develop on the defensive end.

Cenac is scheduled for a weekend visit to Lexington on the 27th and 28th, joining 2025 five-star point guard Mikel Brown. Cenac is scheduled for three other additional visits, Tennessee: September 14th-15th, Auburn: September 20th-21st, and LSU: November 9th.

2025 Mikel Brown, No. 12 Overall, No. 2 PG

Speaking of Mikel Brown, Pope and Co. took a visit to Daytona to see him at DME Academy, and Kentucky looks like the early favorite, per reports.

With a 6-foot-3, 165-pound frame, Brown is a true point guard with excellent ball control and vision. However, he can score when needed and shot over a 40% clip from three on the Adidas circuit this summer. With those skills, Pope has expressed to Brown that he believes that he is a perfect fit for his system.

2025 Caleb Wilson, No. 4 Overall, No. 2 PF

Possessing all the characteristics of the modern-day forward, Caleb Wilson has good size and athleticism, with a lot of raw offensive skills. For that reason, he is the No. 4 overall player in the class.

Last week, Pope visited Wilson in Atlanta, even catching up with John Calipari who was also in to visit. This weekend, Kentucky will host Wilson for an official visit as they have been making a strong push in recent weeks.

However, it will be hard to beat Arkansas, who is seen as the heavy favorite. Calipari has been after Wilson for a while now, even hosting him for a visit at Kentucky last season.

2025 Braylon Mullins, No. 73 overall, No. 13 SG

One of the best shooters in the country, Braylon Mullins has no shortage of shooters. However, few schools can offer the level of freedom and volume of three-pointers that Mark Pope and Kentucky can.

That said, after the commitment of Jasper Johnson last week, Kentucky is waning in Mullins’ recruitment. While they are not out yet, Mullins’ father has expressed that worry about how the two could play together. However, they still plan on visiting Kentucky and listening to the plan from the staff. UConn and IU are the biggest threats here.

2026 Tajh Ariza, No. 6 Overall, No. 2 SF

The son of former NBA player, Tajh Ariza is one of the most sought-after prospects in the 2026 class. Kentucky offered Ariza on Wednesday, after visiting him last week, joining the likes of Arkansas, Kansas, and UCLA. A West Coast kid, assistant Jason Hart is leading this one.

A true three-level scorer, Ariza is extremely talented on the offensive end. While he is dynamic with the ball in his hands, he understands the game and can make an impact of the ball.

2026 Miika Muurinen, No 68 overall, No 14 PF

A top 25 prospect in the 2026 class, Miika Murineen is a type of versatile big that Pope loves. The 6-foot-10, 200-pound forward is fluid and makes an impact on the defensive end. As he adapts to the U.S. style of play, his offense will become more consistent.

Originally set to visit this weekend, that visit was cancelled as two 2025 recruits (C. Wilson and M. Brown) will be on their visits as well. After meeting with Pope at Arizona Compass Prep’s pro day, the two had a “great conversation” and he will reschedule his visit.

2026 Austin Goosby, No. 102 overall, No. 35 SF

Currently ranked as a three-star by most rankings, Goosby is set to make a big rise in the upcoming ranking updates, and Kentucky is making their interest known early.

A 6-foot-4 swingman, Goosby comes from Melissa, Texas, the same area as former Wildcats like De’Aaron Fox, Tyrese Maxey, and Cason Wallace. Goosby is an excellent off-ball wing and can defend at a high level.

Associate head coach Alvin Brooks will be using his Texas ties in this recruitment.

2027 Ryan Hampton, No. 7 Overall, No. 1 SG

It’s still early in the 2027 class, but Ryan Hampton is rising to the top of the rankings. A 6-foot-5 guard, Hampton was a standout on the Adidas 3SSB circuit this summer, averaging 17.5 points per game.

Hampton also comes from a basketball family. His father Rod played at SMU and his brother RJ Hampton was a top-five prospect in the 2019 class, before electing to play in the NBL in New Zealand before the NBA.

Kentucky is not able to directly contact Hampton until July 15th of next year, as he enters his junior season, but Alvin Brooks will be in to watch next week. There is a real family connection there as Brooks has known the Hampton family for a decade.

2027 Baba Oladotun, No. 1 overall, No. 1 PF

Baba Oladotun becomes Mark Pope’s first offer in the class of 2027. A Maryland native, Oladotun is ranked as the top small forward in the class by ESPN.

A dynamic 6-foot-8 wing, Oladotun can shoot the ball at an extremely high level. That mix of size and shooting ability is already leading to comparisons to Kevin Durant.

Again, there can be no direct contact until July 15th of next year, but this is a name Kentucky is prioritizing early. However, so is the rest of the country as the star-studded sophomore already holds offers from Duke, Louisville, Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas among others, including his father’s alum, Virginia Tech.

Other Kentucky Targets

The Kentucky staff is looking to take four to five players from the 2025 class. With Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson already committed, that list is narrowing. The Wildcats still remain in contention with five-star wing Nate Ament, who is expected to reschedule a visit to Lexington. Other names include Tounde Yessoufou and Niko Bundalo.

Many targets such as Caleb Wilson, Chris Cenac Jr, and Nate Ament are not expected to commit during the early signing period, but instead are expected to commit in the Spring. This will allow Kentucky to prove it on the hardwood to sell Pope’s system to some of the most highly rated prospects in the class.