ESPN report: Mark Pope made a list of his main target for the 2024–25 season.
This offseason, the new head coach at Kentucky has had to get things done quickly.
On April 12, Mark Pope was appointed head coach of Kentucky, but time did not go in his favor.
Due to graduation, the transfer portal, or the NBA Draft, all 13 scholarship players from the previous roster were lost, forcing the new UK head coach to assemble a full staff and roster.
The Wildcats’ seven-member transfer class is now ranked No. 5 in the country by 247Sports; among the teams in the top 15, only Louisville has eight more commits, and Pat Kelsey, the new head coach of the Cardinals, has had two weeks to prepare.
No. 21 Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), No. 28 Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), No. 45 Lamont Butler (San Diego State), No. 66 Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), No. 81 Amari Williams (Drexel), No. 104 Koby Brea (Dayton), and No. 118 Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) are among the players in UK’s class, according to 247Sports.
To bring the Wildcats’ total of scholarship players to ten, Pope also added former BYU signee Collin Chandler, who recently completed a two-year Mormon mission, Kentucky Mr. Basketball, the state’s all-time leading scorer and four-star guard Travis Perry from state champion Lyon County, and Harlan County four-star and former South Carolina signee Trent Noah.
Pope, who was well-known for his complex offensive schemes at BYU, also prioritized defense at an early age.
“I found it to be really fascinating. We want individuals to be aware of their surroundings. Pope told Andy Katz regarding NCAA March Madness, “I’m very much an offensive-minded coach that cares deeply about defense, that’s probably the way I would describe myself.” “And so our first three guys we signed was the No. 1 defensive point guard, maybe the best defensive backcourt player in the country, and then with Otega Oweh, definitely a top 5-10 perimeter defender and then with Amari Williams, probably the best defensive post, 3-time defensive player of the year in his league.”
Pope had to balance being proactive enough to fill a squad with being patient enough to hold out for players that matched well together given the time constraints he was under.
These are all seasoned veterans who have proven themselves. I’m quite self-assured,” Pope declared. “Since nobody hits a shot every game, we have safety features and parachute systems in place. The way these parts go together is appealing to me. We’re quite thrilled about a lot of unique pieces, and while I believe they work well together, we won’t know for sure until we get them to campus on June 10 and begin going.”
Pope then acknowledges and accepts the demands.
“Getting No. 9 is the only task we have. I keep seeing the No. 9 everywhere I look. I see only that,” Pope remarked. We’re going to chase that with everything we have since we’re kind of obsessed with it. Here, that is the norm.
Pope then proceeded to dissect the majority of Kentucky’s individual immigrants.
It’s a core group of winners—big-time winners, even. I’m not sure if there’s a guy with more winning DNA than Lamont Butler. As a man who is going to be a true seasoned leadership voice on this squad, it is his life’s work and his primary concern. Over the past four or five years, he has produced some of the biggest plays in college basketball history. I adore that aspect of his genetic makeup. Additionally, I believe that because of the manner we play, he will have an opportunity to release some of the things that were holding back. Although I believe Lamont Butler is already well-known, I also believe that people will realize that he has some serious afterburners.”
KOBY BREA (DAYTON)
“Koby Brea, who plays for our system, belongs at Kentucky. Some guys believe that God created them specifically to play the manner that we do. In the past ten years of collegiate basketball, Koby Brea has been the most productive offensive player. The next man is a 1.31, and he’s a 1.33. The things he did the previous year are beyond comprehension.
“And regarding Andrew Carr, I have the same feelings. He was destined to be our player. He is amazing. I can also move down the roster.”
AMARI WILLIAMS (DREXEL)
“Amari Williams is an intriguing player since he is a top-tier defender in every capacity. Three-time defensive player of the year winner who, in my opinion, is among the top college basketball passing bigs, which is ideal for us because we depend so heavily on it.”
KERR KRIISA (WEST VIRGINIA)
“Dude, this kitty. Don’t you think Kerr Kriisa is the only person in history that had to play in front of BBN for their senior year of college basketball? It must be.”
