Five players Mark Pope should bring with him from BYU

Kentucky has its next head coach, but what about its next basketball roster? That’s a tricky one considering John Calipari’s entire recruiting class is exploring its options — Travis Perry the lone exception, most likely — without a real high school talent pool left available among 2024 prospects. Maybe Mark Pope is able to recruit some of those guys back, maybe he pushes his chips in on Liam McNeeley — a five-star who recently reopened things and considered the Wildcats under Coach Cal, no matter how weird the fit with a number of wings and forwards signed on for next season. Maybe gutting the roster and class opens that door for Pope’s first high-profile addition? On paper, it’s a great fit.

But the conversation starts with BYU and the pieces he already had in place out in Provo. And he had some pretty good ones for a team that finished No. 18 overall in the KenPom rankings with the No. 14 overall offense in college basketball. It was one that beat the likest of San Diego State, Arizona State, NC State, UCF, Iowa State, Texas, West Virginia, Kansas State, Baylor, Kansas, TCU and Oklahoma State while making the NCAA Tournament as a No. 6 seed.

And that was the program’s first year as a high-major, playing in one of the best conferences in college basketball. You’re going to want to reel some of that talent in. Among them?

Jaxon Robinson

Senior

6-7, 190 pounds

Ada, OK

Stats

14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists

26.5 minutes per game

42.6% FG, 35.4% 3PT, 90.8% FT

Robinson is a high-volume, high-production 3-point specialist who brings size and experience with three-level scoring. A catch-and-shooter and creator, the jumbo guard is an immediate take as a fifth-year transfer and a name to watch for Kentucky. He’s coming off a 25-point explosion in the NCAA Tournament with 16 games of 15-plus points this past season. Starting his career at Texas A&M before transferring to Arkansas, then BYU, he’s got SEC experience as a veteran leader and potential anchor for the Wildcats in year one under Pope.

Noah Waterman

Senior

6-11, 220 pounds

Savannah, NY

Stats

9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds

24.1 minutes per game

45.7% FG, 37.0% 3PT, 80.7% FT

A stretch big with positional versatility, Waterman has developed into a rock-solid contributor as a former Detroit Mercy transfer, growing as a defender and rebounder while maintaining the same shooting and scoring spark in Pope’s modern five-out offense.

Trevin Knell

Junior

6-5, 186 pounds

North Salt Lake, UT

Stats

10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists

24.2 minutes per game

45.3% FG, 38.5% 3PT, 77.1% FT

Want shooters? Here’s your shooter. Knell is a 3-point sniper with quick and smooth mechanics, built for Pope’s offense in Lexington, just as it was in Provo. He’s had ups and downs with consistency, but scoring explosions mixed in with duds. He had 18 double-digit scoring efforts and 15 single-digit performances, a truly boom or bust shooter. But he also had 13 games of at least three made 3-pointers and that kind of production is valuable on any bench.

Fousseyni Traore

Junior

6-6, 240 pounds

Bamako, Mali

Stats

10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists

18.3 minutes per game

62.6% FG, 66.7% 3PT, 71.6% FT

A unique combination of size, skill and versatility, Traore is a fan favorite better known as “Fouss” and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention accolades after scoring in double figures 54 times with six of 20 points or more and 19 career double-doubles. He’s only taken 12 career threes (with four makes), but he’s a force with a high basketball IQ and a high-level rebounder. Undersized as a true big, sure, but he understands positioning and stands bigger than his body.

Aly Khalifa

Junior

6-11, 270 pounds

Alexandria, Egypt

Stats

5.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists

19.4 minutes per game

38.6% FG, 31.5% 3PT, 62.1% FT

This one is different and higher risk than most, but there’s upside there for Pope in Lexington. He’s massive and doesn’t move particularly well, but he’s crafty and scores at all three levels while also glowing as an elite passer. His assist-to-turnover ratio ranked among the best in college basketball this past season at 4-1.1, despite making the adjustment from Charlotte in the American to BYU in the Big 12. That’s where the inefficiency came in with poor shooting splits, but the pure skill and IQ are clear. He may not be a high-level producer right away, but he fits a role in Pope’s system.

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