Mark Pope refuses to back down in the recruitment of G League's Dink Pate

Jason Hart was Kentucky's main link to Dink Pate, but even though he is gone to SMU, Mark Pope is still actively pursuing Pate. Today, he traveled to watch Dink's final regular-season game with the Westchester Knicks.

When news broke that Jason Hart was packing his bags for SMU, people began to wonder if the connections he had made would fade away. He was the coach who introduced the two parties.

Mark Pope just sent a very clear, highly visible message that he is still there without Hart.

Pope was sitting right there in attendance. Traveling to watch Pate play in person proves that Kentucky is going to remain in the race for Pate, regardless of who is sitting on the bench.

Filling a massive perimeter void

Pate is exactly the kind of positional puzzle piece that Mark Pope needs to help jumpstart the offseason rebuild he and Kentucky are now in.

Standing at 6-foot-8, he is perfectly built to slide right into that hybrid 2-3 role that Otega Oweh has occupied for the Wildcats over the last two seasons. He can be a massive mismatch on the perimeter who can put the ball on the deck and create his own shot.

His 3-point shooting is moving in the right direction, 21% to 25% to 37%. That huge jump is a bit concerning, and he will probably come back down a bit. That is the only part of his game that is a question.

He will bring am amount of high-level professional experience to the table, which is something you don't find with high school players. After bypassing college to join the G League Ignite out of high school, Pate has spent the last three years playing against grown men.

This season with the Westchester Knicks, he was incredibly productive. He averaged 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in over 30 minutes of action per night.

He isn't just a developmental project; he is a plug-and-play starter for the SEC.

Navigating the unprecedented eligibility hurdle

Of course, whenever you are recruiting a player from the professional ranks, the massive elephant in the room is his actual NCAA eligibility.

Anytime a player spends three years in the G League, the NCAA clearinghouse is going to take a very long, microscopic look at the situation. Especially with the way the court rulings are going.

We have seen players get tangled up in massive legal battles trying to return to the college game after dipping their toes in the professional waters. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Look at James Nnaji and Charles Bediako.

However, Pate's situation is more unique, and the Kentucky compliance office has every reason to be incredibly optimistic. He has never signed a two-way NBA contract. He went undrafted in 2025 and has intentionally turned down multiple two-way offers this season, specifically to preserve his college eligibility.

Because he never enrolled in a university out of high school and never signed a disqualifying NBA deal, he is currently expected to be ruled fully eligible if he officially goes the college route.

Kentucky will now look to try and build a class while also working to retain its own players. Jaland Lowe is gone, and Collin Chandler may be on his way out. We will find out soon as the portal opens on April 7th.