Mark Pope says this one thing will cause him to "not touch" a recruit

Mark Pope doesn’t mince words — especially when it comes to recruiting. At a recent camp, he talked to campers about what he looks for in a player.

The second-year Kentucky head coach spoke at length, giving insight into what immediately turns him off a prospect, no matter how athletic or productive they might be. And it has nothing to do with attitude, effort, or even stats.

It’s bad shooting mechanics.

He said that if a kid has broken mechanics, he "won't touch him,” Pope continued on saying that he just does not have the time to teach shooting at the college level.

It might sound harsh, but it’s pure basketball calculus. By the time a player reaches college, Pope estimates they've already repeated their form 100,000 times or more. Rewiring that isn’t just hard — it’s borderline impossible in the limited development window college coaches have.

He’s not talking about missing shots, either. Pope clarified he’s fine with players who aren’t making shots yet, as long as their form is solid.

What he’s looking for is repeatable, clean mechanics — and a certain psychological discipline.

He took a shot and then immediately started running back as an example of what not to do. He wants guys who follow through until the ball hits the rim or goes in. Pope said that If players are running back early "they’re subconsciously running away from their shot.”

Watch in the above clip how Jaylen Wells leaves his follow through up until the ball goes in. That is what Pope is looking for. If they are running back, that kind of body language, to Pope, speaks volumes about their confidence. Even elite athletes won’t get a second look if their jumper is off-script. So while some coaches bet on physical upside, Pope is betting on form — and mindset.

In an era where shooting stretches the floor and defines spacing, it’s a non-negotiable in Pope’s system.

So if a recruit can’t shoot the right way? No matter how many points they score — they’re out.