Kentucky potentially landing 5-star SF would be program-changing for Mark Pope

Mark Pope’s 2025-26 roster is not yet complete, but that isn’t stopping the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats from looking ahead to the top recruit in next year’s high school class. Five-star wing Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 player in the 2026 class, is scheduled for a visit to Lexington from May 15-17, and if Pope can land him, it would be a massive statement to Big Blue Nation and the rest of the country. 

2026 No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes scheduled for a visit to Kentucky

Upon his return to Kentucky, Pope immediately broke John Calipari’s Sweet 16 drought and restored optimism to a frustrated fan base. However, there is a reasonable sect of BBN and national pundits that have wondered if the Wildcats will have access to the same caliber of recruit that Coach Cal was regularly landing during his 15 years at the helm in Lexington. 

Pope is an elite on-court coach. His free-flowing five-out motion basketball is a thing of beauty when it’s being run right, and with an entirely new roster last season, Pope managed to compete in the loaded SEC and even notch an early-season win over Duke and Cooper Flagg. There are no questions about Pope on gameday, and it’s even safe to say that he’s an upgrade over Calipari’s final five seasons. However, Pope has never proven himself to be an elite recruiter. 

If Pope can land Stokes in a battle with programs like Kansas, Louisville, Oregon, Gonzaga, and Cal’s Arkansas Razorbacks, he would squash any questions about his abilities on the recruiting trail and further cement UK as a perennial national title contender. 

At BYU, Pope’s teams won games with off-ball movement, intelligent passing, and efficient shot selection. Last season, Pope proved that his system has a much higher ceiling with SEC athletes like Otega Oweh and a proven point guard like Lamont Butler. Where could the program go with players like Stokes suddenly in the mix? Big Blue Nation would certainly like to find out. 

Pope’s 2025 class ranks No. 4 in the country, so with Kentucky’s resources, Pope is certainly no slouch. However, Kentucky will still lean heavily on veteran transfers while easing four-stars Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno into the rotation. Stokes will immediately be one of the best players in the country in the 2026-27 season, and landing a one-and-done superstar like that, with Pope’s savvy veterans and efficient offense, would be a monumental moment for the program.