Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats have made a serious effort at assembling a talented bunch of players. With a reported NIL budget around $23 million, Pope added some really promising stars. However, he has faced multiple rejections in the transfer portal, with Texas’ Marcus Spears Jr. being one of them.
After missing out on Spears’ commitment, Pope has his eyes on 2028 four-star recruit Benji Berrouet. Pope and assistant coach Mo Williams have recruited Berrouet in almost all of his live period games, as per KSR reporter Jack Pilgrim.
Berrouet is currently ranked No. 13 overall and No. 2 among power forwards. The 6-foot-7 Latvian international averaged 11.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists during the EuroBasket season.
The Wildcats have added Milan Momcilovic, Zoom Diallo, Franck Kepnang, Alex Wilkins and Ousmane N’Diaye. Pope’s trusted man, Malachi Moreno, is also set to return for the upcoming season. If Kentucky gets Berrouet’s commitment, he will add quality on both ends of the court and good bench depth.
Marcus Spears Jr. chooses Texas over Mark Pope’s Kentucky
2027 five-star recruit Spears committed to the Texas Longhorns on July 9. The 6-foot-9 forward has reclassified to the 2026 class. Coach Sean Miller would be happy to welcome a freshman with elite length and physicality along with quality defense, rebounding and shot-blocking.
Spears is also known for his ball-handling capabilities along with his excellent passing. His top-notch skill set makes him a projected top-three pick for the 2028 NBA draft.
Spears had shortlisted five schools before making his decision to join the Longhorns. He chose Miller’s team over Mark Pope’s Kentucky, John Calipari’s Arkansas, Will Wade’s LSU and Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona.
Texas and NBA legend Kevin Durant approved Spears’ decision. He heaped praise on the five-star recruit and claimed that Spears had made the right decision by choosing his alma mater.
Read more:
“There’s Zero Doubt”: Jamal Crawford Announces Final Decision on Kentucky Coaching Job
Milan Momcilovic Already Leads Summer Rankings in Key Metric as He Makes Impressive Kentucky Start
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