Tyran Stokes still hasn’t made his commitment announcement. Despite interest from and visits to Kansas, Oregon, USC, and rumors around an Arkansas visit, all things point towards him being a Wildcat. Mark Pope and Kentucky are in the pole position to sign 6’7 small forward and number 1 player in the country.
However, it seems that Pope is desperate to bring Stokes. Stokes to Kentucky is almost a done deal due to Pope’s efforts. Reportedly, Pope is willing to spend an absurd amount of NIL money on Stokes. His latest move to strengthen his coaching staff is also getting linked to him luring Stokes.
Mark Pope is pursuing three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford to join his staff at Kentucky, as per multiple sources. Coincidentally, Crawford was also a coach at Rainier Beach HS, where Tyran Stokes played his senior season. Crawford and Stokes had a good bond, and Pope might just be aware of that.
Neither Crawford’s arrival nor Stokes’ commitment is confirmed as of now. However, there is a minuscule chance that he would commit to any other program.
Mark Pope and Kentucky’s topsy-turvy transfer portal
The Kentucky Wildcats haven’t had a very successful transfer portal. They have missed out on Donnie Freeman, who chose Rick Pitino’s St John’s, Sebastian Rancik, and Cakeb Holt, who committed to Alabama.
Other than that, a handful of players decided to enter the transfer portal from Kentucky’s 2025-26 squad. Andrija Jelavic went to Ohio State, Mouhamed Dioubate to LSU, and Brandon Garrison to Alabama. Jasper Johnson, Jaland Lowe, and Collin Chandler all entered the transfer portal. Jayden Quaintance declared for the NBA draft, while Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen left due to eligibility exhaustion.
However, there is still some optimism as Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, and Mason Williams all committed to Kentucky. If Tyran Stokes actually commits to Kentucky, Mark Pope can turn the transfer portal around and have a promising team for next season.
Read more:
Rob Wright III Confirms he Rejected “Another Coach” as Mark Pope Left Red-Faced
Analyst Calls Out Mark Pope as Kentucky Faces Uncertainty Amid Rivals Reloading
Amid Drawn-Out Wait for Tyran Stokes, Mark Pope’s Kentucky Get a Boost in Transfer Portal
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