Mark Pope looks to silence all critics
The 2026 basketball recruiting cycle is in full chaos mode. Visits are stacking up, smoke is flying, and the insiders are starting to place bets.
One analyst recently released confidence picks on 15 of the top uncommitted players—and Kentucky fans have plenty to track.
The biggest takeaway? John Calipari isn’t the only coach who could land a No. 1 player. Mark Pope might be next.
According to the HSTopRecruits:
Tyran Stokes – Kentucky (60%)
Jordan Smith Jr – Arkansas (45%)
Brandon McCoy – Duke (10%)
Christian Collins – USC (10%)
Caleb Holt – Alabama/Kentucky (70%)
Dylan Mingo – UConn (10%)
Tahj Ariza – Oregon (10%)
Anthony Thompson – Indiana/Kentucky (45%)
Cameron Williams – Arizona (20%)
Taylen Kinney – Louisville (50%)
Toni Bryant – Missouri (50%)
Miikka Muurinen – Michigan (30%)
Arafan Diane – Arkansas (40%)
Caleb Gaskins – Florida/Miami (15%)
Deron Rippey Jr – Kentucky/UNC (20%)
That’s four potential UK targets from the top tier, including No. 1-ranked Tyran Stokes. If he picks the Cats—especially over Louisville—it could break the algorithm on Kentucky Twitter.
Another name to monitor is Deron Rippey Jr. He postponed his Kentucky visit due to weather, but the staff remains optimistic. Same with combo guard Anthony Thompson, whose recruitment could come down to SEC vs. Big Ten.
Meanwhile, Kentucky is neck-and-neck with Alabama for Caleb Holt, a do-it-all guard out of Alabama who’s become a high-priority target.
And don’t sleep on Taylen Kinney. The in-state guard is in a true Bluegrass Battle, with both Kentucky and Louisville pressing hard.
If Pope can haul in four of the top 20—including Stokes—it would be a massive boon for year 3 under Mark Pope. It would silence any remaining critics of the coach's ability to draw top tier high school talent to Kentucky.