Kentucky basketball is still Kentucky and many prospects have echoed that sentiment following the departure of John Calipari.
While Mark Pope has yet to coach a single game in Lexington, he's already won some battles on the recruiting trail with his personality, coaching style and ability to connect with the prospects. Oh, and the fact he lives and breathes Kentucky basketball -- and has the history engraved in him.
Last week was the first live period for college coaches in July -- meaning they could be on the road visiting prospects in some of the major summer events and tournaments.
The Adidas 3SSB Championship was in Rock Hill, South Carolina and was one of the more packed events of the year -- headlined by many high-major athletes on the floor in every game.
While it was a time for many players to make a name for themselves, none did it more than Team Loaded (Va.) point guard Kaden Magwood. Magwood, a four-star point guard, averaged 20.7 points per game for the week.
Despite a loss in the semifinals, Team Loaded was undefeated in the regualr saason -- headlined by the play of Magwood.
“I knew that the coaches here with Team Loaded really trusted me and I have a lot of confidence, so nothing I’m doing surprises me,” Magwood told Rivals' Jason Jordon. “I really feel like I’m the best player in the country. That’s my mentality all the time.”
Currently he has offers from Kansas, Florida State, Villanova, Louisville, NC State, Wake Forest, Illinois, LSU, Georgia, Arizona State and a host of others. But, there is one school he's eyeing. That's Kentucky basketball.
“I want the offer from Kentucky, too,” said Magwood. “Right now, I don’t have it, but I want all of the offers. My thing is, I’m gonna control what I can control. I want to improve on some things and show what I’ve been working on.”
Mark Pope has noticed Magwood's play, that's for certain. He was a frequent visitor all week long as Magwood took over games and put up massive numbers. That's nothing new, either.
Magwood averaged16.6 points a game at Oak Hill Academy last year and then followed that up with a strong NBPA Top 100 Camp last month where he averaged 18.3 points and 3.7 assists a game.
Magwood certainly has all of the tools you want in a lead guard and playing with a chip on his shoulder is something Mark Pope loves.
So, could we see an offer from Kentucky in the near future? I think there's a strong possibility.