Mark Pope is a Transfer Portal master — again
Stop us if you have heard this before, Mark Pope isn’t just winning the offseason—he’s rewriting the blueprint.
CBS Sports named Kentucky one of the biggest winners of the 2025 transfer portal cycle, and for good reason. Pope pulled five of the top 60 transfers out of the portal, headlined by No. 10 overall Jayden Quaintance, the high-motor 6-foot-10 forward who swatted shots and altered games as a freshman at Arizona State.
With the departure of five double-figure scorers, Pope didn’t just patch holes—he upgraded the roster’s engine room.
Quaintance and former Alabama forward Mo Dioubate form a snarling frontcourt duo built for SEC battles. Add in Jaland Lowe, the ex-Pitt point guard who dished 5.5 assists per game last season, and the Cats have a floor general who can ignite Pope’s uptempo system. Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) and Kam Williams (Tulane) bring scoring juice on the wings, and suddenly, Kentucky has length, athleticism, and shooting in abundance.
CBS highlighted the haul as shopping “in the luxury aisle.” And after watching Pope squeeze 23 wins out of a thrown-together roster in Year 1, there’s no longer any doubt—the Pope Plan works.
This year’s portal effort was about more than names. It was about fit. Kentucky didn’t just chase rankings—they found high-character, two-way players who thrive in movement and space. That’s Pope’s system. And now, it’s stocked with talent.
While Will Wade’s NC State and Rick Pitino’s St. John’s also earned praise, and UNC and Arizona State landed on the loser’s list, the message from Lexington is simple: Kentucky’s not rebuilding. It’s reloading—faster than ever.
In a chaotic transfer era, Pope continues to operate with clarity. His vision is sharp. His roster is sharp. And heading into Year 2, Kentucky has momentum, muscle, and a master at the controls.