Alexander Brown
Mark Pope won a national championship as a player for Rick Pitino in 1996. After John Calipari’s shocking departure from the program in April, Pope is Kentucky’s new basketball coach. Pope played six years in the NBA and spent nine years as head coach at Utah Valley State and BYU before accepting the job at Kentucky. Now, he’s quickly completing the rebuild of Kentucky’s basketball roster after every scholarship player on Calipari’s last team left for the NBA, became ineligible or entered the college basketball transfer portal.
However, Pope was able to get to work using the transfer portal to resurrect a strong Kentucky basketball lineup. He has already received commitments from seven transfers, managed to keep a commitment from Calipari’s Class of 2024 and added another freshman earlier this week. If you love the Wildcats or just want the latest roster updates and news from the college basketball transfer portal, be sure to See what the proven team of experts is saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate covering Kentucky.
The team of insiders at CatsPause. with are providing up-to-date information on the latest information regarding the Kentucky basketball coaching transition and roster changes. CatsPause has built a solid reputation over its 20-plus years covering the Wildcats and has deeply rooted sources in and around the Kentucky athletic department. And now, CatsPause is offering 50% off your first year of annual subscription*, so now is the time to sign up.
The CatsPause team has complete coverage on who’s making and who’s making the Kentucky basketball roster. Head to CatsPause now for all the insider info.
Kentucky Basketball Roster Matches
Once Calipari left Kentucky, several Wildcats from last year’s roster were also on the move. Aaron Bradshaw was the first to commit to a new team when he joined the Ohio State Buckeyes, while Zvonimir Ivisic became the first player from last season to follow Calipari to Arkansas. Calipari is also encouraging Bradshaw’s high school teammate, DJ Wagner, to join the Razorbacks.
The transfer portal isn’t the only reason the Wildcats’ roster will be different next season. Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell, two of Kentucky’s leading scorers last season, are graduating. Meanwhile, Justin Edwards, Rob Dillingham and Ugonna Onyenso have declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. There is also movement within the recruiting class, so Pope’s roster is clearly far from solidified for the 2024-25 season. Join CatsPause for the latest on all of Kentucky’s roster changes.
Kentucky Basketball News, Roster
When Calipari left, he took two of the top 25 prospects in the 2024 class with him, along with DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic. However, Pope was able to respond by adding seven experienced players to the college basketball transfer portal. All seven players are four-star recruits and have played key roles on their respective teams in 2023-24.
Oklahoma State center Brandon Garrison, Oklahoma guard Otega Oweh and West Virginia guard Kerr Kriisa were all starters in the nation’s best conference last year. Meanwhile, Duquesne’s Amari Williams and San Diego State’s Lamont Butler Jr. were their conference’s Defensive Players of the Year last season. Dayton’s Koby Brea was the A-10 Sixth Man of the Year and Andrew Carr averaged 13.5 points per game for Wake Forest last year. Pope also retained four-star Class of 2024 recruit Travis Ford and added a commitment from three-star guard Trent Noah earlier in the week. Join CatsPause for the latest on all of Kentucky’s roster additions.
How to Get Insider Kentucky Basketball Roster Updates
Pope could also bring at least one great BYU player with him, so be sure to join CatsPause to see who it is and get the rest of the insider news.
Who are the top names Kentucky basketball is pursuing under coach Mark Pope, and which former BYU player could land in Lexington? Go to CatsPause to Get your inside scoop, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Wildcats, and find out. And remember: CatsPause is offering 50% off the first year of an annual VIP membership*, so sign up now before it’s too late.
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