Mark Pope and Staff ‘Back in the Mix’ for 2025 CG Jamarion Batemon Since Joining Kentucky

2025 combo guard Jamarion Batemon is considered to be one of the best shooters in the entire nation. Now, he’s catching the eye of Kentucky head coach Mark Pope and his staff.

The 6-foot-3, 175-pound combo guard from Milwaukee (WI) Academy Of Science and the Power 5 AAU Program told KSR+ that his AAU coach has been in contact with Pope. Meanwhile, Batemon has been texting with assistant coach Cody Fueger.

“He just told me they were at Kentucky now and that they were going to be here this weekend to watch me play,” Batemon said. “They’re going to be redoing what they did when they were at BYU. They recruited me a little bit at BYU and now they’re getting back in the mix since they’ve gotten to Kentucky.”

Pope and assistant Jason Hart spent some time in Texas at the 3SSB over the weekend and caught some of Batemon’s game. BYU was in contact previously while Pope was head coach, but the communication didn’t last.

“It was strong for a period of time and then it fell out,” Batemon said. “I just see it as an opportunity to get a school like Kentucky, especially since we connected already while they were at BYU. I just see it as an opportunity to reconnect with Coach Mark Pope and Kentucky.”

Batemon said Kentucky has not extended an offer to him yet. They haven’t talked with him about a visit, but he would “absolutely” take an official there if invited.

“Kentucky is a blue-blood,” he said. “They put guys in the NBA and they play a lot of big-time games.”

His Wider Recruitment

Jamarion Batemon is starting to see his recruitment come to a head this summer. He said that Iowa State and Marquette have been showing strong interest for a long time. Now, a new school is entering the mix.

“Coach [Chester] Frazier is recruiting me at West Virginia,” he said. “We had a connection at Illinois and then he moved to West Virginia. We kept that connection going. Those are the main schools I’ve been building a strong relationship with for a while.”

Batemon said he’s planning to take official visits to West Virginia, Iowa State, Marquette, and Louisville. He hasn’t set any dates.

“I’m planning on taking some real soon in June,” he said. “If I can maybe get some in August, it depends on my timeline and how things pan out. I just don’t know yet.”

Batemon doesn’t have a timetable for a commitment. It changes day-by-day.

“I’m just weighing out things and trying to figure out the best option,” he said. “Some days, I wake up and think one thing. Other days, I wake up and think I’ll wait. It’s just up in the air. There’s a lot of thought going into it, especially with the live period that we just played. I’m just freestyling it and playing it out.”

When a decision comes, it’ll come down to a few things. Among those, he’s considering development, a family-like environment, and a great culture.

“Who can prepare me best for the future I want? I want to go to the NBA, so where will I be in the best position to do that? I’m looking at if I’m going to be able to play as a freshman,” he said.

Jamarion Batemon’s Game

2025 three-star guard Jamarion Batemon of Milwaukee (WI) Academy of Science is the nation’s No. 161 overall prospect, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 ranks Batemon as the No. 13 combo guard and the No. 6 best player in Wisconsin.

“My greatest strength has got to be my shooting,” Batemon said. “The most impactful thing about me is my defense. I take a lot of pride in playing defense and stopping people from scoring. That really helps my team win basketball games.”

Moving forward, Batemon is looking to improve as a ball handler and a scorer. He also wants to prove he’s “more than just a shooter.”

“I want to control the ball, set up plays, and improve as a rebounder. I need to be a better rebounding guard, helping my bigs out down low, and closing out possessions,” he said. “I can score the ball, get to the rim, shoot the midrange, and I’m a defender first.”

The post Mark Pope and Staff ‘Back in the Mix’ for 2025 CG Jamarion Batemon Since Joining Kentucky appeared first on On3.