Mark Pope and the Kentucky basketball program have resumed their efforts on the recruiting trail.
Their current destination? One of the premier recruiting events of the summer.
On Wednesday morning, Pope was seen by the Herald-Leader at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina. This annual event is regarded as a leading evaluation venue for college basketball recruits, and UK has extended scholarship offers to several players participating in this year’s event.
Additionally, Pope was not the only Kentucky coach observed on Wednesday morning. UK associate head coach Alvin Brooks III, along with assistant coaches Cody Fueger and Jason Hart, were also present at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. The Wildcats are represented by a strong contingent.
Currently, six players at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in South Carolina hold scholarship offers from UK.
UK is permitted to maintain a recruiting presence at the NBPA Top 100 Camp on Wednesday and Thursday. These two days have been designated on the NCAA recruiting calendar as an ‘evaluation period.
According to the NCAA, an evaluation period is defined as the timeframe during which authorized staff members of the athletics department are permitted to engage in off-campus activities aimed at evaluating the academic qualifications and athletic abilities of prospective student-athletes. During this evaluation period, no in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts may be made with the prospective student-athlete.
A significant recruiting date is approaching for Kentucky. Beginning Sunday, college basketball coaches will have the opportunity to directly reach out to recruits from the class of 2027. Currently, Kentucky has extended three scholarship offers to prospects from the class of 2027, who have just completed their sophomore years in high school basketball.
Kentucky basketball watches recruits at NBPA Top 100 Camp
From the 2026 recruiting class, four players attending this week’s NBPA Top 100 Camp have received offers from UK. These players are: Ikenna Alozie (shooting guard), Tajh Ariza (shooting guard), Taylen Kinney (point guard), and Anthony Thompson (small forward).
There has already been significant recruiting news regarding several of these prospects. Kinney, who previously excelled at Newport High School in Northern Kentucky, is currently considering a top-15 list of schools that includes UK. This past season, Kinney was teammates with incoming Kentucky freshman Jasper Johnson at the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite program.
Thompson, hailing from Ohio, is also evaluating a top-15 list that features Kentucky. He attended Big Blue Madness last year and received a scholarship offer from UK shortly after that event. Additionally, Thompson was present at Rupp Arena in January for UK’s home victory over the eventual national champion Florida.
From the 2027 recruiting class, Obinna Ekezie Jr. (center) and Baba Oladotun (power forward) are participating in the NBPA Top 100 Camp and have received offers from Kentucky.
Oladotun was the inaugural prospect from the class of 2027 to obtain a scholarship offer from the UK.
UK basketball coaches use offseason to recruit high school players
During this offseason, significant effort has been devoted to constructing a Kentucky roster for the 2025-26 season, which is anticipated to rank within the top 10 of the preseason AP poll. In addition to this, Pope and his coaching staff have also focused on scouting talent for future UK teams.
Kentucky established a robust recruiting presence at various shoe circuit events in May, including the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League and the Adidas 3Stripes Select Basketball League.
Most recently, UK assistant coach Mikhail McLean attended the 2025 FIBA U-16 Men’s AmeriCup held in Mexico.
Numerous in-person visits have been conducted throughout the offseason. Notably, Pope made a home visit to Kinney, while Brooks, recognized for his exceptional recruiting skills, met with Austin Goosby, a four-star shooting guard from Texas. Although Goosby has not yet received a scholarship offer from Kentucky, he is participating in this week’s NBPA Top 100 Camp.
Other players at the NBPA Top 100 Camp whom Kentucky coaches have visited this offseason include Alozie, Ariza, and Billy White III, a four-star small forward in the 2026 class.
Thanks to a rule change implemented last summer, the Wildcats have been able to expand their recruiting efforts this offseason. All six countable coaches on an NCAA Division I men’s basketball staff are permitted to recruit off campus, although only four of the six coaches may do so simultaneously.
Which players currently hold Kentucky basketball scholarship offers?
Pope and the Wildcats have offers currently extended to 14 players spanning the 2026 and 2027 recruiting groups.
The comprehensive list of scholarship offers for the 2026 recruiting class includes: Brandon McCoy (point guard), Jason Crowe Jr. (point guard), Taylen Kinney (point guard), Jordan Smith (shooting guard), Ikenna Alozie (shooting guard), Tajh Ariza (shooting guard), Caleb Holt (small forward), Anthony Thompson (small forward), Tyran Stokes (power forward), Christian Collins (power forward), and Miikka Muurinen (power forward).
Stokes, who is the highest-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting class, recently made an official visit to Kentucky.
The scholarship offers for the 2027 recruiting class consist of: Obinna Ekezie Jr. (center), Baba Oladotun (power forward), and CJ Rosser (power forward).
As of now, Kentucky has not extended any offers to prospects from the 2028 recruiting class.
