The leap in negativity around Mark Pope from his first to second year at Kentucky wasn't entirely undeserved, but many of the issues that plagued his sophomore effort were arguably out of his hands. The main kicker was plainly the injury problems; having gone without a point guard to his most coveted transfer prospect, both, the roster was rarely as intended.
Then, in his third offseason behind the wheel, Pope found himself in a self-imposed hole as a result of multiple high-profile misses. The pressure was on, and voices from all sides - including many in Lexington - were beginning to point fingers. In spite of the solid roster Kentucky held just over a week ago, folks wanted more.
And they would get more in spades. First, five-star transfer Milan Momcilovic committed to Kentucky over Louisville and Arizone both, signaling Coach Pope's first big win of the offseason, and arguably his biggest pickup as the Cats coach so far.
Now, less than one week later, Pope has turned around and secured another five-star guy. This time, it was class of 2027 freshman Ryan Hampton, who becomes Pope's first five-star recruit out of high school and, for the time, sets Kentucky's 2027-28 class as No. 2 in the nation, per 247Sports.
A Stark Turnaround for Pope
It's been a stark turnaround on the recruiting front for a coach who had to go over the top to prove that things are still on track for the blue and white. In light of these recruiting wins, last season's shortcomings look like a perfect storm of unfortunate circumstances... at least, they do for now.
With Momcilovic's addition and the return of Malachio Moreno, the incoming Kentucky squad looks to have the pieces to make a legitimate conference run. Even if a national title appears like a distant possibility for this team, talent like Momcilovic, as well as a strong backcourt and deep veteran presence, make me lean towards the "never say never" camp more than anything else.
And for the season after, for which Pope is making a strong case, you couldn't have asked for a better start than a five-star, class-leading forward with the apparent ability to jump in and lead the offense immediately.
Keeping the Faith
Coach Pope has given the Big Blue Nation enough reason in this past week alone to keep their steady faith; I know it gets harder and harder every year to do so, but now more than ever, Pope seems to be on the edge of a competitive breakthrough.
He'll still have to implement a workable system this fall, as well as depend on crossed fingers and well wishes to get his guys through the year in good health, but the outlook is better than every for Wildcats Basketball.
Eyes on the rafters, Cats fans. Banner season is approaching once more.
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