New report suggests Mark Pope may finalize Kentucky's roster with an international star

Upon the widely beloved addition of Milan Momcilovic, a lot of people seemed to accept the state of Kentucky's current roster as apparently final. It's hard to blame them, given the massive nature of Momcilovic's commitment and how he likely closed off the starting lineup.

Still, Kentucky has a roster spot remaining, and Mark Pope and his staff appear fully intent on filling it. While there have been whispers within the last few weeks of potential pursuits, a new report is picking up steam as Kentucky circles the international market once more.

First reported by Jack Pilgrim of KSR, with additional coverage from BigBlueDylan, Kentucky is expressing serious interest in Serbian superstar Nikola Kusturica.

Although, the Wildcats are far from alone in this recruitment. Gonzaga, Duke, Arizona, and Louisville, among others, are also reportedly involved, with the Zags emerging as the early favorite. Still, it isn't worth counting the Cats out of this one just yet, especially in light of Pope's recent recruiting momentum.

Don't Count Kentucky Out for Nikola Kusturica

Kusturica, just a 17-year old, would likely leave his professional run with Serbia in pursuit of a multi-year deal on the college level. His 6-foot-8, lengthy frame allows him to score from just about anywhere. Kusturica averaged 20 points and nearly eight boards overseas this year; regardless of his age, that reads like a complete prospect already.

Of course, the hangup with Kentucky is that, at the three spot which he'd likely slot in, a log jam of sorts already exists. Between Kam Williams, Braydon Hawthorne, and Justin McBride, not even mentioning Momcilovic, there already exists a battle for minutes at the position.

This is a guy you absolutely make room for, sure, but it's hard to imagine Kentucky cutting any one of those guys out for Kusturica to take on a dominant role. If Pope has a plan, it isn't exactly clear... at least not yet.

Trusting Mark Pope's Plan

Then again, that wouldn't be the first time I've said that this offseason. At multiple intervals, especially when Kentucky was regularly missing on priority recruits, it was easy to wonder exactly what Coach Pope was cooking up behind the scenes.

Now, after landing two five-star recruits in one week (the latter being Ryan Hampton for the 2027 class), it's more than fair to say that Pope has bought back some of the Big Blue Nation's trust.

So when it comes to Kusturica, we can take his tape and Kentucky's interest at face value: Pope and his staff are making contact, alongside many other top programs, in an active effort to land this guy. If he's a Cat, he's a Cat; the rest will figure itself out.

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