Mark Pope is entering a pressure-packed second full work week as the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, as he continues the process of piecing his first Kentucky basketball roster together.
His coaching staff has been taking shape, with BYU assistant Cody Fueger, former Georgia head coach Mark Fox and former G League Ignite head coach Jason Hart all expected to be announced. Pope would have two more assistant coaching spots to fill at that point.
Every coach on the staff will be busy trying to snag players from the college basketball transfer portal before the window closes at the beginning of May.
There were 10 players with college eligibility left on the roster from John Calipari’s final team, but none of those players are expected to return. Several of them declared for the NBA Draft, while the rest entered the college basketball transfer portal.
If you love the Wildcats, or just want the latest roster updates and college basketball transfer portal news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky.
The team of insiders at CatsPause.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding the Kentucky basketball coaching transition and roster changes. C
has built a solid reputation over its 20+ years covering the Wildcats, and has deep-rooted sources inside and around the Kentucky athletic department.
The 2024 Kentucky basketball roster took a hit when reigning SEC Rookie of the Year, Reed Sheppard, said he is entering the NBA Draft. S
is a projected lottery pick, so this move was possible with or without Calipari as the head coach, but Calipari leaving will certainly make it more challenging to bring in a player of Sheppard’s talent.
The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game last season while shooting 53.6% from the field.
He was the team’s third-leading scorer, but he made a huge impact on his ability to space the floor as one of the best 3-point shooters in the country.
