Mark Pope on roster: 'We’re talking to the current team, all the guys recruited, and just about every single player in the portal'

Former BYU head coach and Kentucky player Mark Pope was introduced as the Wildcats’ new head man on Sunday in front of a ruckus crowd in Rupp Arena. Taking over the reins of his alma mater after John Calipari departed from the program for Arkansas.

Head coach movement always comes with player movement, especially in today’s college sports landscape with the prominence of the transfer portal. And during his introductory press conference, Pope was asked how he plans on building Kentucky’s roster moving forward.

“We’re talking to all the guys on the current team, all the guys that have been recruited, and just about every single player in the portal right now,” Pope said followed by a cheer from the sold-out crowd in Lexington. “We’re gonna find the guys that fit here the way we play, and the guys that will come here and understand what a gift it is to play here at the University of Kentucky.”

The Wildcats have a multitude of players from last year’s team that are already in the transfer portal and others that still have a decision to make regarding declaring for the NBA Draft. Making it fascinating to see which familiar and fresh faces suit up for the Wildcats next season in year one under Pope.

Pope previously made stops at Utah Valley and BYU before landing back with his alma mater, having more resources than ever before to help build out not just his roster, but his coaching staff as well. A group that Pope also looks forward to constructing given the nuances of college hoops.

“It’s one of the fun things about college basketball, it’s so dynamic right now,” Pope said. “The portal, NIL, conference realignment, it’s changed everything so quickly. So building a staff now, you’re not just looking for the skillsets of on-court development and even just recruiting. You’re considering GM positions that can navigate a roster, you’re considering NIL positions.”

There’s no denying the importance NIL has now with recruiting, making it crucial for Pope to bring in coaches who can navigate today’s current recruiting landscape along with the X’s and O’s. With Pope also touching on the importance of NIL at large regarding Kentucky’s future.

“Let me say something about NIL, it’s more than just cash. NIL is building a future and contributing to a community and doing that right takes a lot of effort and I can go into hours and hours of conversation with you on that,” Pope concluded.