Kentucky Offers Bryson Howard, High-Upside Wing with Blueblood Pedigree
Mark Pope is still new to Lexington, but he’s moving with the urgency of someone who knows what Kentucky basketball is supposed to look like.
Enter Bryson Howard, a fast-rising four-star wing with a growing national profile and the kind of upside that fits perfectly with Pope’s modern blueprint. The Wildcats reached out in May. Now, just a month later, they’ve extended a formal scholarship offer.
Safe to say, they like what they see—and they’re not alone.
Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports' Director of Scouting, offered a glowing report on the 6-foot-6 southpaw:
"“Howard is an athletic southpaw wing with good positional size, a high motor, and terrific frame that is undoubtedly going to continue filling out,” Finkelstein wrote. “He attacks the rim, getting downhill in the open court and playing through contact. He rises up to finish and is a lob threat. He also has a translatable shooting stroke and has even shown some flashes of being able to make movement shots. Defensively, he’s engaged and excels with his court coverage. There’s still room for him to clean up some of his angles, but he has a world of potential both on and off the ball.”"Adam Finkelstein
That reads like a checklist for the kind of wings Pope wants in Lexington: long, athletic, competitive, and capable on both ends of the floor. A true two-way prospect with positional versatility and room to grow.
And if the last name looks familiar, it should. Howard’s father is former NBA All-Star Josh Howard, who carved out a decade-long pro career after a storied run at Wake Forest. The elder Howard was the 2003 ACC Player of the Year, a consensus All-American, and still has his jersey hanging in the rafters at Joel Coliseum.
Now the next generation is rising—and Bryson’s game, while still developing, carries echoes of that same competitive edge and physical presence.
For Kentucky, it’s another sign of a new staff recruiting with confidence. Pope knows guys he wants and is going after them regardless of where they sit on the recruiting ranking big boards. And with offers from programs like Texas, Virginia Tech, and Tennessee already in hand, Howard is starting to climb and everyone is beginning to take notice.
Whether or not Kentucky becomes the destination remains to be seen. But the interest is real, and the foundation is laid.
Keep an eye on this one. The bloodlines are there. So is the bounce. And if Howard ends up in blue and white, it just might feel like a full-circle moment—for him, for Pope, and for a fanbase that knows star power when it sees it.