Kentucky’s coaching search is reportedly over.
BYU’s Mark Pope is “lined up” to take over for John Calipari as the Wildcats’ next head coach, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.
Pope has ties to Big Blue Nation, winning a national championship as a captain for Rick Pitino’s 1996 Kentucky team. He brings nine years of head coaching experience to Lexington, leading BYU to two NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons.
Pope will have big shoes to fill in Calipari’s place, particularly as a recruiter. His predecessor set the standard for the one-and-done era in college basketball, frequently bringing in top-ranked high school prospects and turning them into NBA-caliber players.
What will Pope’s potential roster look like in his first season at Kentucky? Take a look at the BYU recruits and transfers who could follow him and the players who are still on the Wildcats’ roster below.
MORE: Who is Mark Pope? Meet John Calipari’s reported successor at Kentucky
BYU recruits 2024
BYU only had two incoming 2024 recruits under Pope.
Brooks Bahr, a 6-4 guard and Texas native, is a three-star recruit and the No. 109-ranked player in his class, according to 247Sports. Isaac Davis, a 6-6 forward and Idaho native, is also a three-star recruit and the No. 116-ranked player.
Both prospects will have the opportunity to request a release from their National Letter of Intent to BYU if they choose. This early in the process, there is no telling if they will uphold their commitment, re-open their recruitment, or try and follow Pope to Kentucky if he goes.
BYU transfer portal 2024
Prior to the report of Pope taking over at Kentucky, BYU only had one player in the transfer portal — freshman guard Marcus Adams Jr., who only played in one game this past season.
A coaching change opens an additional 30-day window where players can choose to enter the portal, so more entries could be coming.
One name to monitor is 6-7 junior wing Jaxson Robinson, who has already transferred twice (from Texas A&M to Arkansas to BYU) and has one year of eligibility remaining.
The Big-12 Sixth Man of the Year led the Cougars with 14.2 points per game and already has experience playing at the SEC level.
Kentucky basketball roster 2024-25
Before Calipari left for Arkansas, Kentucky had the No. 2 recruiting class in the country. Three of the Wildcats’ six recruits have already decommitted following the Calipari news.
Five-star center Jayden Quaintance (No. 8 in this year’s recruiting class) and five-star forward Karter Knox (No. 20) headline the list of prospects who are likely to follow Calipari to Fayetteville. Four-star center Somto Cyril (No. 46) also decommitted from the Wildcats.
MORE: Kentucky recruits tracker: Who will follow Calipari to Arkansas?
For incoming recruits, that leaves No. 22-ranked Billy Richmond, No. 26-ranked Boogie Fland, and No. 73-ranked Travis Perry who have yet to decide their fate following the head coaching shakeup.
As for the players with remaining eligibility from the 2023-24 roster, Rob Dillingham and Justin Edwards have already declared for the NBA Draft. Reed Sheppard is expected to follow them, while D.J. Wagner faces a tough decision whether to turn pro or return to school.
Former five-star freshman center Aaron Bradshaw has entered the transfer portal, as has sophomore guard Adou Thiero. That leaves sophomore forward Ugonna Onyenso and freshman center Zvonimir Ivisic, who are both undecided.
It’s worth noting that Ivisic has been promoting Calipari’s job change on social media, though.
