Things are moving fast on the recruiting trail, BBN. As Kentucky awaits Mark Mitchell's eligibility to be decided in a Louisville court, competing target Jaxon Kohler had a Zoom call today that may have swapped the momentum. What previously looked like a closed-shut case in Mitchell's favor could be actively giving way to a Kohler-Kentucky union.
According to Jack Pilgrim, Mark Pope's meeting with Jaxon Kohler went for nearly three hours. Pilgrim reported that a source said the meeting went "As good as it could’ve gone," for Kentucky, who stepped onto the scene yesterday as soon as Kohler officially entered the portal.
While BYU holds a meeting with Kohler tonight, Pilgrim said the call was "was a step in the right direction" in the Wildcats' pursuit. A decision could even come as soon as tonight, too.
In the case that Kohler's meeting with the Cougars comes and goes without any commitment news, it may be time to start seriously considering the possibility that Kohler lands in Lexington. This was always a serious chase for Kentucky's staff, and now, Kohler himself is firmly in those talks.
Kohler landing in Kentucky looks like a serious possibility
It's worth pointing out that simply because Kohler's decision could come Wednesday night doesn't mean that it will. Kohler's camp reportedly wants "to get this over with ASAP,” but with so many NIL negotiations and multiple cooks in the kitchen behind the scenes, it's easy to see this taking longer.
As far as Coach Pope is concerned, this is a classic case of trying to have his cake and eat it too. As Mitchell sits idle in court, previously the only real name in contention for Kentucky, Pope is seemingly throwing an offer to anothr guy that could commit before Mitchell's case is decided.
This could mean that Kentucky gets a player for sure either way, but it could also lead to neither landing in Lexington in the end. It's a treacherous balancing act that Pope must pull off.
Pope must find the recruiting balance between Kohler and Mitchell
Both guys are "takes," if you will. Kohler nearly put up a double-double per game with the Spartans last season, averaging a 12.5/8.9 split between points and boards. Mitchell, on the other hand, was putting up 18.3 points per contest in a lead-scoring role in the SEC.
Either pickup is a win, but what matters more than anything at this point is that Mark Pope manages to get at least one.
For the time being, Kohler is the name to keep your thumb on. If the weekend comes and Mitchell's case is decided without a Kohler commitment, things are almost sure to swing back in his favor. Something has to give, and give soon, in one direction.
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