Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope might have wasted an international trip going after a recruit who was already committed to a rival program. The recruit in question is Brazilian center Marcio Santos, who has announced his commitment to LSU.
The Brazilian big man chose LSU despite reportedly going to dinner with Pope. An international source shared the following detail from the dinner:
“Apparently they went out to dinner and [Marcio] said Pope was weird.”
The user Hitmen Hoops called out Pope. The Memphis basketball analyst wrote:
“Kentucky HC Mark Pope is extremely naive recruiting internationally. Making a trip halfway across the globe when Marcio Santos was done to LSU already… 🤦♂️”
This has hit Kentucky fans hard as the Maccabi Tel Aviv center averaged 6.9 points in 14 minutes in the Euroleague, shooting 40% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-9 big man could have been Kentucky’s solution at the center position.
In late April, Pope traveled to Israel to scout Santos. Pope attended games, met with Santos, and even engaged in discussions with his camp. However, Santos apparently didn’t feel a connection with Pope as he decided to commit to LSU.
Mark Pope Faces Backlash For Q&A on Social Media
On Tuesday evening, Mark Pope took to X and asked fans to send him their questions as Kentucky navigates a whirlwind offseason. After losing Donnie Freeman and Tyran Stokes to rival programs, this couldn’t have gone any worse.
Fans called out the University of Kentucky’s PR department for even allowing this in the first place.
“Idk what’s funnier, doing this or actually having someone advise you to do this,” one fan wrote.
“Man. This is going to be choppy waters,” another fan had the idea.
Meanwhile, some fans expressed uncertainty about Kentucky’s offseason.
“Coach, I feel for you. You’re catching heat but hitting it head on which I admire. I think a lot of fans are curious about the rest of the roster spots and if you are waiting for the draft combine to finish to see who pulls out or if you’re willing to fill out the roster w/intl?” one fan asked.
“is the roster complete or are you still recruiting some more players for the roster?” another fan asked.
Fans are hoping Pope will be able to turn things around in what appears to be a disappointing offseason.
Read More News:
Washington Basketball Recruiting: International Pro Forward Commits to Danny Sprinkle’s Squad
Tyran Stokes Shows Off New Tattoo, But One Background Detail has Kentucky Fans Excited
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
