Mark Pope's should push all of Kentucky's chips in on 5-star CJ Rosser in the 2027 class

Mark Pope turned heads in every corner of college hoops when he secured a commitment from five-star wing Ryan Hampton. Not only was it his highest-rated recruit out of high school ever, but Hampton's blue and white pledge kicked off a 2027 class that has the opportunity to outrun Kentucky's recruiting rivals before they get the chance to respond. The next step is clear, I believe: CJ Rosser.

Rosser, another five-star forward that measures at a daunting 6-foot-9 given his versatility, is currently dominating with USA Basketball's U17 team. Teamed up with top recruits across the nation (some of whom have already committed to a school), Rosser is averaging 15.5 points and 4.3 boards in under 20 minutes per contest.

Most impressively, though Rosser is shooting a 46.7% clip from long range. For a power forward to be able to pull up in transition from beyond the arc and score with the best of them is basically unheard of at his size, even in the Victor Wembanyama era of basketball.

Any worries about Rosser's thin frame quickly give way to the optics; He's a stretch forward with ridiculous length and a confident jumper that, with time to development, could be one of college basketball's most exciting young prospects.

That's why Coach Pope and Kentucky should go all out on pairing him with Hampton.

Going All Out for Rosser

Now, I'm not suggesting that Pope should replicate the "all or nothing" that left Kentucky essentially dusted when Tyran Stokes chose Kansas earlier this offseason. If Kentucky throws the book at Rosser and he's disinterested early on, the Cats should absolutely move on.

But I am still suggesting that Pope throw the book at the No. 3 recruit in the nation in the first place. Of the entire available pool, no duo looks as tantalizing as Hampton and Rosser. Both guys play similarly, and thus score similarly; at the three and four spot for Kentucky, Pope would likely have two of the top bucket-getters in the 2027 class.

It's the sort of confirmed arrival that Pope has been vying for on the recruiting trail since his hiring in Lexington. Kentucky has an incredibly promising roster this season already, but a Hampton-Rosser combo is the sort that would get the national media shining lights on Lexington.

As Jamie Shaw noted on X, Rosser has already taken an unofficial visit to Kentucky (kudos to Pope's fishing trip), as well as Louisville, North Carolina, and NC State. He's got a thing for in-state rivals, I suppose.

If Kentucky can get in with an early official visit with Rosser, just as things happened with Hampton, you never know what a revitalized Pope could pull off. On paper, the pairing at hand would be the most exciting one-two punch the Wildcats have seen in years.

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