Mark Pope has been busy this offseason. After a slow start to his recruitment process, Pope has been trying to catch up and build a strong roster for the Kentucky Wildcats as they hope to make a title run next season.
Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats are likely to be a part of the Diamond Cup, a new early-season tournament that will be full of elite programs. Here’s everything you need to know about the Diamond Cup and whether we’ll see Kentucky participate in it.
As per KSR’s Jack Pilgrim, Kentucky is expected to be a part of the high-profile event. There’s a lot of hype surrounding the Diamond Cup, mainly due to the programs that are being linked to the event.
“The Diamond Cup, which will feature Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, UConn, Gonzaga, and Kansas, will be rival to many of the big events on the college basketball schedule like the Maui Invitational, Battle 4 Atlantis, ESPN Events Invitational, and Players Era Festival,” Kevin Connelly reported.
The new event is still in early stages, but some analysts and insiders have shared more information about the Diamond Cup. One of the biggest advantages of the event will be the amount of money programs can win.
The event will likely be a two-game agreement in 2027-28, where schools will receive $2.25 million apiece. There are discussions being held on making it a four-game format, and in that case, the money will go up to $3.75 million.
In addition to the money involved, the Diamond Cup will feature some of the best schools in the country, so high-quality games are nearly guaranteed. A major hurdle the event is facing right now is scheduling, which will likely get sorted soon.
Milan Momcilovic Heaped Praise on Mark Pope’s System
Milan Momcilovic is one of the highly touted prospects who is likely headed to Kentucky if he decides to come back to college basketball. Momcilovic is excited about the possibility of joining Pope’s team.
While he waits to hear from NBA scouts and franchises, the 6’8 sharp shooter heaped praise on Pope’s system.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” he said. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.”
Momcilovic believes that Pope didn’t have elite shooters around him last season. So, if he comes back to college basketball and joins the Kentucky Wildcats, the head coach wouldn’t have to worry about that aspect of the game.
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