Mark Pope is sounding like a different coach these days.
That’s not just about the results on the floor. It’s about the way he’s carrying himself, and the way he’s talking about his team as he heads into his third year.
Last season, he often came across as depressed and downtrodden. This offseason, he has made a point of leaning into joy again.
The signs have been there. The team spent time on a boat singing karaoke.
They also visited a cancer center in Hazard. Pope has pointed to a real “togetherness” inside the program, and that kind of language stands out after a year that felt a little disjointed.
A big reason for the optimism is the incoming transfer group, especially Milan Momcilovic and Alex Wilkins. Pope recently talked about both on the Field of 68, and his comments offered a clear window into why he’s so encouraged.
“When I watch him play, the time where it seems like he’s the most comfortable in the world is when he’s taking a shot, and even more so when he’s taking a big shot,” Pope said of Momcilovic.
That kind of comfort matters. A player has to be willing to miss big shots in order to take them, and Momcilovic sounds like the sort of player who embraces that responsibility. That makes him the kind of crunch-time option teams always want more of.
Wilkins may be getting less attention, but Pope clearly does not want him overlooked.
“Alex is getting tougher every day,” Pope said of Wilkins. “He’s getting more disciplined every day. He is a wild talent… He shot over 50% on insanely difficult 3s in live play for us over the course of the entire summer.”
There’s obvious value in a player who can hit difficult shots, but there’s also a line between shot-making and living off the hardest attempts available. At Furman, Wilkins posted 46/32/82 splits, so the idea that discipline is starting to take hold is a welcome one.
Of course, Pope is going to speak positively about his players this time of year. That comes with the territory.
Still, the mood around the program feels upbeat, and that’s coming through from more than just the coach. Jack Givens said he could tell these guys like to practice, and that was something he didn’t think he saw last year.
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Kentucky Now Has A Rival Problem In This Key Transfer Battle
Mark Pope and Kentucky basketball have moved quickly into the market for Michigan State fifth-year transfer Jaxon Kohler, a name that gained extra importance once updated eligibility rules opened the door for another round of transfer movement. For Kentucky, the appeal is straightforward: Kohler is the kind of experienced frontcourt option who can matter well beyond the immediate roster shuffle and into the 2026-27 picture.
The Wildcats are not alone in seeing that value, though. BYU and Kansas have been circling too, and the recruitment has now taken on a more crowded feel as the battle sharpens around a player who fits a lot of programs needs. For Kentucky, that means this is no longer just about making an early push, but about holding up in a fight where the competition is likely to stay active right through the finish. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Pope Is Betting Kentucky's New Roster Model Will Pay Off
Kentuckys roster-building operation looks a lot different than the one most fans hear about around college basketball these days, and Mark Pope is making the case that it is by design. Rather than hand the keys to a single general manager, the Wildcats have split the work among four specialists, with Keegan Brown handling data and roster construction, Nick Robinson overseeing salary-cap strategy, Kevin Sergent taking on compliance and legal matters, and Kim Shelton working on NIL and corporate sponsorships.
Pope said the setup is meant to be more collaborative, with assistant coaches also heavily involved in recruiting and roster decisions. In a sport where programs are increasingly trying to centralize power in one front-office voice, Kentucky is betting that a wider table of decision-makers will be the better way to build a roster and keep it aligned. [Read more 🡒]