Mark Pope and Jason Hart fly to Texas to watch recruits at 3SSB

Mark Pope spent Saturday in Indianapolis alongside notable stars Jack Pilgrim and Zack Geoghegan, not to mention a few other names like John Calipari and John Wall at the EYBL, watching a variety of recruits showcase their talents. However, he and assistant coach Jason Hart popped on a private plane and jetted off to Texas on Sunday to attend a similar event showcasing the nation’s top high school talent, the 3SSB.

According to Pilgrim, Pope was in attendance to watch Great Crossing star Malachi Moreno, a 2025 four-star center. On3 ranks Moreno, out of Georgetown, as the third-best center in the country and 39th-best recruit overall.

Pope and Hart also took in the talents of other big names, including Jamarion Bateman, Mikel Brown Jr., Nate Ament, Kaden Magwood, Koa Peat, and Niko Bundalo.

But don’t think Pope gave up on the EYBL in Indy. It was a divide-and-conquer strategy for the new Kentucky staff. While Pope and Hart went to Texas, assistants Alvin Brooks III and Cody “BOOM” Fueger stayed in Indiana to take notes on several more recruits, including Will Riley, Davion Hannah, and Lexington native, Jasper Johnson.

In short, the Kentucky staff hasn’t gotten after it this weekend. Pope and company have had to build a roster for this year from scratch, and as such, have not had a lot of time to think beyond 2024. They spent this weekend making up lost ground and showing Big Blue Nation they will still be going hard after the nation’s top talents.