Mark Pope has been busy recruiting since he became Kentucky’s coach. Here’s his next stop.
It has been a whirlwind offseason for new Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope since he was officially announced as John Calipari’s replacement on April 12.
Basketball-wise, the vast majority of Pope’s time and resources have been spent putting together a brand-new UK roster for the 2024-25 season, which is currently comprised of 12 scholarship players (three incoming freshmen and nine pickups via the transfer portal).
However, Pope is already recruiting for Kentucky for the next season. Along with associate head coach Alvin Brooks III and assistant coaches Cody Fueger and Jason Hart, Pope and his coaching staff have already begun touring the recruiting trail to observe players from the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes in action.
The new Kentucky basketball coaching staff has scheduled their next recruiting tour after spending time viewing events on the Nike EYBL circuit in Indiana, the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Texas, the Puma PRO16/NXT circuit in Kansas, and even the FIBA Men’s Under-18 AmeriCup in Argentina.
The 2024 edition of the NBPA TOP 100 Camp is already underway in Orlando, Florida. The event, which began A gathering of one hundred of the best high school basketball players in the nation takes place on Saturday and continues through Thursday.
The NBPA Top 100 camp, which is in its 30th year and is hosted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, has produced numerous prospects who went on to become standout collegiate players in addition to over 300 future NBA players.
Along with college coaches and recruiters, representatives from all 30 NBA teams will be present at this elite prep basketball event. The NCAA Division I men’s basketball recruiting schedule designates Tuesday and Wednesday as a “evaluation period.” This implies that the four UK coaches who are allowed to go out recruiting—Pope, Brooks, Fueger, and Hart—can attend the NBPA Top 100 camp during that time.
The Herald-Leader will also be attending the NBPA Top 100 camp from Monday through Wednesday.
Which players at the NBPA Top 100 camp is Kentucky recruiting?
Whichever combination of Kentucky coaches make the trip south to Orlando, they will be in line to watch a litany of top college basketball prospects in a well-respected evaluation setting.
Among the 100 players at the NBPA Top 100 camp are several recruits who have already had conversations with or been linked to the new Kentucky coaching staff.
Some of those players include:
Class of 2025 five-star small forward Tounde Yessoufou (6-foot-5, 211 pounds).
Class of 2025 four-star combo guard Davion Hannah (6-foot-5, 175 pounds).
Class of 2025 four-star center Malachi Moreno (6-foot-11, 210 pounds).
From top to bottom, the players taking part in the camp in Orlando boast talent, intrigue, and in some cases, name recognition.
Several players at the camp are the sons of former NBA players. This group includes class of 2025 shooting guard Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo Anthony), class of 2026 small forward Tajh Ariza (Trevor Ariza), class of 2025 small forward Andre Iguadola Jr. (Andre Iguadola) and class of 2025 small forward Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (Jermaine O’Neal).
Class of 2025 small forward Dorian Hayes — the son of former Kentucky fan favorite and longtime NBA player Another future collegiate athlete at the program is Chuck Hayes.
Class of 2025 small forward Jacob Wilkins, the son of hall of famer Dominique Wilkins, who has committed to play at his father’s alma mater, Georgia, and class of 2025 power forward Jack McCaffery, the youngest son of Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, are both participating in the camp.
Two more prospects from Kentucky are present in Orlando: The class of 2025 point guard Kaden Magwood attends Great Crossing High School in Georgetown in addition to the previously mentioned Moreno. Magwood is a Louisville native who performs at Virginia’s Oak Hill Academy.
Another interesting storyline to follow at the NBPA Top 100 camp will be the prospects taking part from regions of the country where the new-look Kentucky coaching staff holds recruiting ties.
The prime years of Pope’s NBA career were spent in Milwaukee. Wisconsin is home to five players at the camp: Iowa State commit Xzavion Mitchell, class of 2025 small forward Amari Allen, class of 2025 combo guard Jamarion Batemon, class of 2025 combo guard Davion Hannah, and class of 2025 center Kai Rogers. Power forward Chris Nwuli of Utah’s Wasatch Academy, class of 2025, is also present at the camp. However, he informed the Herald-Leader last month that he had not received a direct message from the new Kentucky coaching staff.
As usual, there will be a ton of basketball talent available from Texas and California, which are Hart and Brooks’ respective recruiting hotbeds, at the event.