Mark Pope didn’t need to dress it up on Media Day. When the Kentucky coach was asked about Furman transfer Alex Wilkins, he landed on the simplest answer.
“He’s really important to us.”
That much is easy to see. Wilkins is set to be a major piece for Kentucky next season, and his impact could swing the backcourt in either direction.
If the 6-foot-6 guard adjusts quickly to the SEC after starring at the mid-major level, the Wildcats may have an NBA-caliber player on their hands. If the transition stalls, Kentucky could be staring at a real gap in the backcourt.
That’s the risk and the appeal with a player like Wilkins: the talent is obvious, but the final version still has to be revealed.
“You have some guys that are such high-ceiling guys,” Pope said. “And (Wilkins is) a high-ceiling guy.”
At Furman, Wilkins arrived as a true freshman and immediately took over. He averaged 17.8 points and 4.7 assists in 29.8 minutes per game, started all 35 contests and earned All-Southern Conference recognition along with Most Outstanding Player honors at the SoCon Tournament. He also announced himself on the biggest stage with 21 points against UConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
That production made him one of the most coveted players in the portal, and Pope landed him for Lexington.
The numbers show why there was so much buzz, but they also explain the work Kentucky has been doing behind the scenes. Wilkins piled up 3.8 turnovers per game last season and shot 32.8 percent from three, two areas that have become major talking points this offseason. Pope said the staff has zeroed in on decision-making, assist-to-turnover ratio and two-point efficiency.
“We’ve been really focused on his two-point field goal percentage and we’ve been really focused on his assist-to-turnover ratio because, while at Furman, he was a high assist rate guy,” Pope said. “He was also sharing the ball with the other team a lot, and we prefer not to do that.”
So far, Pope likes what he has seen in fall practice. He said Wilkins posted a 13-4 assist-to-turnover ratio during the first week and shot 56 percent from two during that stretch. Wilkins was already efficient inside the arc at Furman, where he shot 55.4 percent on two-point attempts, but Kentucky clearly wants that number pushed even higher.
The bigger adjustment is role and rhythm. At Furman, Wilkins was asked to carry everything.
At Kentucky, the expectation is different: less burden, better choices, cleaner possessions. Pope said the Wildcats are using a two lead-guard system that fits a pro-style look, and Wilkins is settling into it.
“Sometimes it’s hard to be a decision-maker when you have so many options,” Pope added. “When you’re as talented as Alex is, you have a million options, and so it can actually make it more challenging to become an elite-level decision-maker.
“But he’s on his way, and he’ll play a lot of point for us. He’ll play a lot of combo guard.
We’re really playing a two lead-guard system right now, which is very NBA. It’s very pro style, and he’s blending in really well.
He’s going to be special.”
Wilkins said at Media Day that he forced the issue too often at Furman, hunting for the home-run play instead of letting possessions breathe. He was still learning defensive coverages and how to attack them, and that’s been a summer focus as well. He also knows that playing more off the ball should help both him and Kentucky.
For Wilkins, the message is simple: he still has room to grow, and he wants the reps to prove it.
“My ceiling is far from over,” Wilkins said. “I feel like I’m a guy who just needs reps.”
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Still Waiting On Trent Noah For One Big Reason
Trent Noah is heading into the 2026-27 season with an early setback, as Kentucky has had to manage two separate hamstring injuries for the sophomore wing. A UK spokesperson said the hamstring is progressing well and that a return is expected in the coming weeks, which at least gives the Wildcats a clearer sense of the timeline even if it does not solve the immediate rotation question.
Noahs absence has also come with a quieter kind of growth, because he said the injuries have changed how he views his basketball career and sharpened his appreciation for simply being able to play. For Kentucky, the hold-up is about more than just getting another body back on the floor. It is about waiting for a player who sees his value in more than scoring and knows there are still different ways to help once he returns. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys Preseason Injury Pileup Is Already Testing Fans Patience
Kentuckys preseason has already turned into an exercise in patience, with the Wildcats dealing with a string of offseason and early-preseason injuries before the games even begin. Kam Williams is still working back from a second foot surgery, while Milan Momcilovic and Trent Noah have also been sidelined, adding to the list of unavailable pieces as the staff tries to get a clearer read on its roster and rotation.
The latest concern came in practice, where Jerone Moton suffered a knee injury and will be re-evaluated. None of the setbacks has been reported as season-ending or expected to significantly alter the regular season, but the accumulation matters in Lexington, where every missed rep slows development and leaves fans waiting for the team to get all of its parts on the floor at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys LSU Homecoming Just Got Even Bigger For Wildcats Fans
Kentuckys October date with LSU already had plenty of built-in intrigue, and now it comes with a little more pageantry attached. The Wildcats and Tigers are both 3-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, which gives the matchup some early conference weight, but the atmosphere in Lexington should be just as much of a draw as the football. The game is set for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on Oct. 10, 2026, on ESPN, and Kentucky will make it part of Homecoming with a Blue Out theme.
The night will also double as a Throwback Game, giving fans a chance to see the Wildcats in special uniforms while the stadium gets the full school-spirit treatment. For a home date against LSU, it is the kind of setup Kentucky wanted, one that blends meaningful SEC football with a setting designed to feel bigger than a standard Saturday in the fall. By the time kickoff arrives, the Wildcats should have a crowd dressed for the occasion and a national audience watching the whole thing unfold. [Read more 🡒]