Mark Pope is already seeing a few Kentucky players separate themselves as the Wildcats work through practice for the 2026-27 season, and the list stretches well beyond the obvious names.
Kentucky’s roster has plenty of firepower on paper, from the electric backcourt pairing of Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins to Kam Williams, Malachi Moreno and Milan Momcilovic, who Pope expects to be a focal point of the offense next season. But the early buzz inside practice has centered on a different group of players - the ones turning heads before the games even start.
On Tuesday, Pope joined the Inside College Basketball podcast with Jon Rothstein and pointed first to a name that has already come up repeatedly in conversations around the team.
"There's a lot," Pope told Rothstein. "This Ousmane N'Diaye is really, really interesting.
When you get to lay eyes on him, you're going to -- he's just so long and he really shoots the ball. Justin McBride is a guy that hasn't been talked about a ton, has had a ton of reps, is a very versatile player, brings some physicality.
Franck Kepnang, if he can stay healthy. Everybody's seen what he can do when he's healthy.
He could have a big impact for us."
Pope also highlighted a returning player who appears to be making real progress in practice. That player is Trent Noah, and Pope sounded particularly encouraged by what he’s seen.
"Probably the guy that's getting talked about the least that is showing out right now is Trent Noah. He's physical and he can really shoot it.
Part of the issue last year was when we lost the point guard spot and we lost the realt creator vibe on our roster, it hurt guys like Trent. Trent might not manufacture a lot of shots, but if shots can be manufactured for him, he's gonna make them all it feels like."
The Wildcats’ depth has given Pope plenty to evaluate, and he made it clear there are more names in the mix than just the ones already drawing attention. He also brought up Braydon Hawthorne, a player Kentucky has been discussing for a while.
"I think there are a lot of guys who have potential to step up and be difference makers, and a couple guys I haven't mentioned. We've been talking for a year about Braydon Hawthorne, we think he's got a really high ceiling and a ton of potential. We have a lot of guys that have the chance to step in and make an impact on this team and we're gonna count on all of them to do it."
For Kentucky, the upside is obvious. The question now is how much of that potential can actually turn into production once the season gets going.
In Other News...
Kentucky Just Took A Painful Recruiting Hit Will Stein Can't Ignore
Kentuckys 2027 recruiting board took a dent on the defensive line, where the Wildcats had been trying to keep momentum going under Will Stein. The class still has bodies up front, but there is now a clearer opening to fill after one of the better line targets came off the board, leaving the staff to keep pressing for interior help while staying active elsewhere.
The encouraging part for Kentucky is that the recruiting picture has not gone quiet. The Wildcats recently answered one miss by landing four-star wide receiver Tyler Fryman, a reminder that the staff can still close on priority prospects even after losing a battle to South Carolina for another target. The challenge now is whether Kentucky can use that same energy to make up ground on the defensive line before the class gets harder to balance. [Read more 🡒]
Milan Momcilovic Is Already Sending A Message To The SEC
Milan Momcilovic has barely settled into Kentucky, and he is already getting singled out as one of the SECs most intriguing newcomers. CBS Sports Jon Rothstein put the transfer on his All-SEC preseason first team, a nod that stands out because he is the only new face on the list and because the Wildcats are expected to lean on his shooting right away under Mark Pope.
The fit is obvious enough: Kentucky wants Momcilovic to be the offenses top perimeter weapon, the kind of player defenses have to chase off the line from the opening tip. If the volume climbs the way the Wildcats hope, it would give Pope a defined long-range threat to build around and add another layer to a roster that still has to prove how dangerous it can be in SEC play. [Read more 🡒]
Kenny Minchey Just Gave Kentucky Fans Real Reason To Believe
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Minchey also comes with a bit of unfinished business. He was close at Notre Dame, where he narrowly missed out on winning the starting job, and now he gets the chance to reset in an offense designed by coaches with a growing reputation for developing quarterbacks. Kentucky does not need him to be a finished product on day one, but it does need him to be part of the reason fans start believing this group can be different. [Read more 🡒]