Kentucky fans were more than happy to let John Calipari walk out the door to Arkansas at the end of last season. The Wildcats had just suffered yet another NCAA Tournament exit, and with Calipari seemingly not open to any kind of constructive criticism, it felt like he wasn't capable of figuring out how to get the program back to competing for national titles. Plus, in Mark Pope, Kentucky had a native son and rising coaching star waiting in the wings.
But while most in Big Blue Nation were just fine with swapping Calipari for Pope, there was at least one area in which the move seemed like an inarguable downgrade: recruiting. For all his many in-game faults, Coach Cal was still among the best in the sport at bringing elite talent to Lexington, while Pope had found success at BYU without winning too many big-time recruiting battles.
That was fine enough to win 20 games a year in Provo, but the bar was set a bit higher at Kentucky; no matter how good a tactician you are, it's hard to win the way Wildcats fans expect without a star-studded roster. Would Pope be able to adjust to the demands of his new job, or would he fall short of the lofty standard set by Calipari? His first full offseason in Lexington has given us our answer, and it's one Kentucky should be thrilled about.
Mark Pope proving he can be the big-time recruiter Kentucky needs
Pope cleared the bar on the court in year one, leading Kentucky to the Sweet 16 despite a near-constant string of injuries to key players. The next test came off of it, and right now he looks to be acing it.
Kentucky added yet another talented player to its incoming class over the weekend, poaching Croatian big man Andrija Jelavic. One of the top European prospects in his age group, Jelavic already boasts two years of professional experience in Serbia, and he looked like exactly the sort of stretch 4 that will excel in Pope's system.
NEWS: Croatian big man Andrija Jelavic has committed to Kentucky, his agent Misko Raznatovic told ESPN. The Mega MIS product, who turns 21 next month, is one of the most highly regarded European prospects taking the NCAA route. pic.twitter.com/FaYLZoZTm6
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 12, 2025
It adds to what's been a weeks-long heater for Kentucky since their season-ending loss to Tennessee. The Wildcats already have a pair of blue-chip prospects coming in from the high school ranks in combo guard Jasper Johnson and center Malachi Moreno. And Pope has added to that group with an absolute haul in the transfer portal, from Alabama wing Mouhamed Dioubate to Tulane wing Kam Williams to Pitt point guard Jaland Lowe to Arizona State forward Jayden Quaintance.
Add it all up, and you get the fourth-ranked incoming class in the country per 247Sports. That's tops in the SEC, and well above Calipari's 16th-ranked class at Arkansas. Pope had already proven that his innovative offensive system could thrive at the highest level; now he's building a roster that could be as deep as just about anyone in the country, and proving that Kentucky fans really can have it all in a head coach.