After initially drawing the ire of Kentucky fans, Mark Pope has turned things around and then some. Following Tyran Stokes’ decision to join the Kansas Jayhawks, Pope was vilified by the Big Blue Nation (BBN), but he’s since bounced back with some incredible recruiting.
First, it was the return of Malachi Moreno, who withdrew from the NBA draft to rejoin Pope and company, and then the big one, Milan Momcilovic committed to Kentucky ahead of Arizona and arch rivals Louisville, marking a major victory for Mark Pope.
And the icing on the cake has come in the form of a commitment from four-star Ryan Hampton, who was recently on campus for his visit as he weighed up his options and clearly believed Kentucky was the right fit for him.
Regarding Hampton, insider Joe Tipton is reporting that LSU and Kentucky were the two big fish trying to recruit him, with Kentucky clearly winning the battle.
“I think he really saw the fit, the development,” Tipton explained.
“I think it came down to Kentucky and LSU because when I was in Memphis watching Ryan at the EYBL, Will Wade and Mark Pope were kind of two head coaches watching him which suggests to me that he is priority at both programs.
“Kentucky rushed him on the campus this past weekend, got him on an official visit and wanted to close the deal fast and they did just that.”
What’s Next for Mark Pope and Kentucky?
Despite the recent recruitment successes, it appears Pope isn’t quite done yet. He was recently seen in Mexico during the FIBA AmeriCup tournament, likely looking for one final piece of the puzzle, and he’s also been out trying to add an assistant coach.
Jamal Crawford has been linked with the assistant coach job, though it is currently open and appears a matter of time before Pope gets a new man as his right hand in Lexington.
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