Mark Pope Brings Entire Kentucky Staff to NBPA Top 100 Camp — Recruiting Blitz Begins in Rock Hill 🏀📍
The grind never stops for Mark Pope and the new-look Kentucky Wildcats.
As the NBPA Top 100 Camp gets underway in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the entire Kentucky basketball coaching staff including Pope himself, along with assistant coaches Alvin Brooks III, Cody Fueger, and Jason Hart has descended upon the Rock Hill Sports and Events Center for a three-day recruiting showcase unlike any other.
While June typically marks the calm before the storm in college hoops, this week is anything but quiet. Following a loaded May that saw the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, SEC Spring Meetings, and the Pangos All-American Camp, Kentucky now shifts its full attention to one of the summer’s marquee scouting events. For Pope and his crew, it’s a chance to make a powerful impression on the nation’s rising stars and they’re going all in.
🔎 Eyes on the Future
Pope wasted no time zeroing in on some of the top names in high school basketball. Among the first players he watched on Day 1? Five-star wing Anthony Thompson, ranked No. 5 overall in the 2026 On3 Player Rankings. He wasn’t alone heavy-hitter coaches like Michigan’s Dusty May, Indiana’s Darian DeVries, Louisville’s Pat Kelsey, and Ohio State’s Jake Diebler were also on hand. But Pope’s presence, backed by a fully staffed bench in Kentucky gear, stood out.
Also catching his eye: Tajh Ariza, another five-star forward ranked No. 8 in 2026, and four-star point guard Tay Kinney, No. 23 overall. All three have already earned scholarship offers from the Wildcats, and Pope made it clear they are top priorities.
📋 Kentucky’s Target Board: Offers & Interest
đź“Ś Players with Offers:
- Tajh Ariza (2026)
- Anthony Thompson (2026)
- Tay Kinney (2026)
- Ikenna Alozie (2026)
- Obinna Ekezie Jr. (2027)
- Baba Oladotun (2027)
đź‘€ Players with Serious Interest:
- Trey Thompson (2026)
- Arafan Diane (2026)
- Deron Rippey Jr. (2026)
- Kevin Thomas (2026)
- DaKari Spear (2026)
- Dean Rueckert (2026)
- Austin Goosby (2026)
- Davion Adkins (2026)
- Jalen Montonati (2026)
- Bryson Howard (2026)
- Anthony Felesi (2026)
- Kohl Rosario (2026)
- Billy White III (2026)
- Qayden Samuels (2026)
- Bruce Branch III (2027)
- Ryan Hampton (2027)
- King Gibson (2027)
- Reese Alston (2027)
Kentucky’s recruiting footprint is clearly expanding and quickly. The Wildcats are doing more than just scouting the top-ranked kids; they’re building relationships early and often, even with the loaded 2027 class that’s barely out of sophomore year.
đź’Ľ All Hands on Deck
Perhaps the most striking part of Kentucky’s presence in Rock Hill is how unified it is. Pope didn’t send one assistant. He brought the whole staff. It’s a statement not just to players and families, but to fellow programs that Kentucky basketball under Mark Pope is going to recruit hard. No shortcuts, no delegation. Everyone is on the trail, everyone is invested.
That kind of effort and energy resonates with prospects and sets a tone for how Pope intends to run this next chapter in Lexington.
📆 What’s Next?
With NBPA Top 100 Camp running through Friday, June 13, there’s still more evaluation and momentum-building ahead. Thursday and Friday’s games will feature all-star performances, championship moments, and plenty more chances for Pope and his staff to make an impression.
One thing’s for sure Kentucky is no longer feeling its way through the post-Calipari era. It’s attacking the future with purpose.
And in Rock Hill, that future might just be sitting courtside.
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