Is JUCO stil a thing?? Surely we could snag a 24 yr old CNC apprentice or something
Who will be our first commitment for 26?
- Thread starter TheResistance
- Start date
I gave this a
emoji because I thought this thread was from the last day or two, then looked at the timestamp…It’s crazy to even comprehend in the day of paying players, UK would have ZERO studs lined up and signed!
If I wasn’t alive to witness it myself, I would have never believed it!
I almost feel like we need to just overspend to land A top player.. just to give us some momentum. Its like going to a strip club.. use some money to buy a lapdance and give you some confidence. Grease the wheels a bit lol.
But we need something. Pope cant do another off-season of completely missing on guys. Because in the end, as good as he can coach, we need moee talent than what we have. Bottom line. These teams hes working with, they feel loke Elite8 max kind of potential. Maybe a surprise Final4 or two.. but let's be real, they arent title contending rosters.
But we need something. Pope cant do another off-season of completely missing on guys. Because in the end, as good as he can coach, we need moee talent than what we have. Bottom line. These teams hes working with, they feel loke Elite8 max kind of potential. Maybe a surprise Final4 or two.. but let's be real, they arent title contending rosters.
If you don't already know we aren't signing any recruits this year you haven't been paying attention at all.
I feel Pope will sign a 3 or low level 4 star and emphasize how well he fits the system. Hopefully it is a Tyler Herro type that really does!
I would like to see UK flip Jake Feldhaus from Madison Central. He committed to Belmont but I believe that was more because I think he concentrated on golf instead of basketball until this past 1.5 years.
The lack of buzz with zero commits and potentially not getting any top 20 or 30 commits is deeply, deeply disturbing.
Hoping a 3- or 4-star turns into Tyler Herro isn’t a winning strategy, it’s a gamble. Sometimes it works, but sometimes you get a Travis Perry situation here or someone who takes time. Like Noah who needs 3–4 years to develop and reach his potential. At this stage of the '26 recruiting class, Pope will have to hit the portal hard, filling holes on the roster with proven NCAA players. I don't fault him for targeting players with multiple years of eligibility, like Oweh, Williams, Lowe, Garrison, Dioubate, etc after the years of mass exodus and lack of player retention before.
It is. With the team playing much better lately, I think the concern with Pope has shifted from complete disaster to pretty much recruiting only. Something is definitely off.
And we've seen how out it worked out for Stoops with UK football. You get a good (not great) team every 5 years or so.
Pre-NIL and yes it may have worked out for Stoops back then. But this is Kentucky Basketball where being a National Championship contender is the standard.
At a minimum, Pope will need to replace Oweh and Aberdeen. And you know others will leave. Pope will sign some kids from the portal and maybe a lower ranked high school kid or two. Someone will grab that cash.
Not sure why we, and other blue-bloods (sans UCLA), are not in on Josiah Johnson (6' 3", 185 lb., PG, 4-Star from CA). Rivals has him ranked as the 6th PG and 58th overall prospect (3 Star. 14th PG, 151 OVR in the Composite). Only 12 offers, with the best being UCLA and the leaders apparently being San Diego State, Long Beach State (both his mother and father played hoops there), and California Baptist. Maybe no chance to get him out of CA based on the favorites list?
A bit of a late bloomer on the national stage, seems to be a quick true PG with good vision who can use both hands well and defend. Shot needs to develop a bit it seems, but I would take a kid like him when our starting PG blows a shoulder.
A bit of a late bloomer on the national stage, seems to be a quick true PG with good vision who can use both hands well and defend. Shot needs to develop a bit it seems, but I would take a kid like him when our starting PG blows a shoulder.
I gave this a
It’s crazy to even comprehend in the day of paying players, UK would have ZERO studs lined up and signed!
If I wasn’t alive to witness it myself, I would have never believed it!
If Pope and , Barnfart don't have a come to Jesus with the truth about this recruiting disaster I hope both are gone soon. If this is not fixed soon they will tank the program below Gillespie and Tubby recruiting.
I'd love to see UK go all in on Juke Harris from Wake Forest.
Perfect replacement for Oweh as we could run the offense through him day 1.
I don't think he's a first rounder in this years deep draft and he may stay put at Wake.
If he enters the portal he will be at the very top.
Plus Herro was like on the verge of five star status anyway.
UK fan since 1959 you probably weren't born yet if you can't recruit at the all time winniest program in college basketball you absolutely cannot sustain. acceptable results. Winning at Florida would be wonderful but only a bandaid to the bigger problem.
He has "recruited" every single player he has had here dude. Not getting McDonald's All Americans doesn't mean you can't recruit. The last 5 National Champions prove that. Its a nonsense narrative
Per Rivals:
2018 - EJ Montgomery 8th Overall
2018 - Tyler Herro 35th Overall
2025 - Jasper Johnson 25th Overall
2025 - Malachi Moreno 28th Overall
(2025 - Acaden Lewis 35th Overall)
The last five years of CCC warped alot of our fan base expectations mediocrity in recruiting and 30 point beat downs totally acceptable now, next in line will be celebrations of high seeding in the NIT. Lol
With 3 pointing back at youKentucky will continue to be just a hat on the table it's not a coincidence that we cannot land one single top recruit the jmi contract and lack of a general manager I believe is the major cause of this debacle Pope needs to stop coach speak with the fans and take action and fix this.
Why not recruit the best of the best and try and keep them for their sophomore season? Instead this staff is getting subs from other teams to come here to be starters. We will see how it works out
We better find a replacement for Moreno. I hope like crazy he stays but if he doesn't we don't have a C to fall back on.
