Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats have revamped their roster this offseason for the 2026-27 campaign. However, they are still looking for their 15th player to finalize the roster.
During an interview with the media on Friday, Mark Pope shared his thoughts on the team’s current situation. He also said that they are holding onto the 15th roster spot for a special player who would be vital for Kentucky in the upcoming season.
“I love our roster right now,” Pope said. “I like the way the pieces fit. I like the versatility of our guys. I think we have depth because we have versatility. We’ve already seen that this summer as we’ve had some guys that had to miss some time. And so, I think we could function at a really high level.
“But we have a spot open. And so, we’re actively, every day, in conversations with everything from international guys, reclass guys, still transfer portal guys, and then, of course, this looming fifth year eligibility, which would bring a huge influx of talent into the recruitable pool right now. Some guys that could be game changers.
“And, as we, like everybody else, wait to see how that works out, we’re definitely holding this spot to see if there’s something that can make us better. But I like this group right now. I’d go to battle with this group in a second.
In May, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats secured the commitment of ex-Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic. This was after he decided to withdraw his name from the 2026 NBA draft. The Wildcats added a total of nine new players this offseason.
There is also the possibility of fifth-year seniors receiving an extra year of eligibility through ongoing lawsuits. Most recently, former Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall was granted a preliminary injunction allowing him to pursue a fifth year of eligibility after a lawsuit against the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility rule.
Mark Pope gets honest about Kam Williams’ recovery timeline
Back in January, returning sophomore Kam Williams broke his foot during Kentucky’s game against Texas. He missed out on the next few games after surgery before returning to play in the postseason.
However, it looks like Williams underwent a second surgery following some discomfort this offseason. On Friday, Mark Pope provided an update on Williams’ return timeline.
“His recovery was going tremendously,” Pope said. “He was able to actually play in the postseason for us and was really helpful. He continued to progress and progress and get better and better, and then he just stalled.
“When he was kind of in the 90% healed (range), it started to regress. He went and had another surgery. He’s progressing great right now, and we have high, high, high confidence that we’ll have him for the season.”
Last season, Kam Williams averaged 6.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats made March Madness, but were eliminated by Iowa State in the Round of 32.
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“Was In The Cinema”: Ousmane N’Diaye Reveals Circumstances In Which He Agreed To Kentucky Move
Milan Momcilovic Already Leads Summer Rankings in Key Metric as He Makes Impressive Kentucky Start
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