4-Point Play: Closing out September with recruiting and sweet tea

It’s the calm before the storm for Kentucky basketball, the week before Big Blue Madness week, today specifically being the last day without our beloved Wildcats in some form or fashion from October to March (and hopefully April). The end of September marks the start of the Mark Pope era, and for that, we are thankful.

Practice is ongoing while the recruiting puzzle pieces continue to fit together ahead of the early signing period — highlighted by two five-star visitors on campus this past weekend. Coach Pope also mourned the loss of a basketball legend while Travis Perry talked about drinking sweet tea on the bench and dreaming of being a hometown hero in Lexington.

We discuss it all in a quick evening edition of 4-Point Play.

Chris Cenac and Mikel Brown rock Kentucky blue

Pope landed in-state standouts Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno while momentum picks up with the likes of Acaden Lewis and Caleb Wilson. So where do top-15 prospects Chris Cenac and Mikel Brown fit into the mix as they wrap up their officials to Kentucky this past weekend?

It puts the Wildcats in a solid position both now and down the road, to say the least.

On one hand, Lewis is expected to commit ahead of the early signing period with UK seen as a heavy favorite. Wilson could decide anywhere from November to January — he’s shifted that timeline back and forth a bit, but the Cats undoubtedly made an impression during his visit earlier this month.

From there, Cenac and Brown are both expected to make their announcements during the late signing period, waiting to see how the season unfolds before diving head-first into a commitment. That opens the door for options in the fall, winter and spring, allowing them to monitor the progress of their own young pieces within the program to decide how hard to hit the portal for experience next offseason rather than pursuing additional freshmen. The staggered timelines work in Kentucky’s favor.

What are the Wildcats’ chances to land Cenac and/or Brown? The latest intel is over on KSBoard — the former here and the latter here.

It’s gonna be a minute until either player makes a decision. Until then, check out the pair of five-stars rocking Kentucky blue this weekend in Lexington.

Chris Cenac

Mikel Brown Jr.

A big recruiting domino?

UConn added a commitment from top-25 shooting guard Darius Adams, the 6-5 prospect choosing the Huskies over Tennessee and Michigan State, among others. What does that mean for Kentucky? Well, nothing directly, but potentially as one of many dominoes to fall.

Top-50 point guard Derek Dixon chose North Carolina going into the weekend amid speculation the Tar Heels had fallen behind in Acaden Lewis’ recruitment. Elsewhere, Braylon Mullins — arguably the top shooter in 2025 — cut Kentucky from his list and is set to choose between UConn, Indiana and UNC with the Huskies and Hoosiers seen as the realistic contenders.

Could we see a scenario where everybody wins: Adams to UConn, Dixon to UNC, Mullins to IU and Lewis to UK? Mullins loading up the backcourt in Storrs wouldn’t hurt the Wildcats’ chances with Lewis, either.

Either way, expect continued movement sooner rather than later.

Travis Perry would rather be a home hero than a road villain

Why Kentucky? Travis Perry sat down with our friends at Club Blue to talk about what kept him home.

“Being from Kentucky, it’s always been my dream to play at UK,” he said. “When Coach Pope got the job and seeing the system that he runs, the type of person he is, and how passionate he is, it’s really incredible.”

The top-100 prospect was then asked about his desire to be a road villain or a home hero — Reed Sheppard was both this past season as a Wildcat. His answer if he had to pick one? There’s nothing like putting on a show in front of Big Blue Nation.

“I think anywhere else in the world it would probably be villain on the road, but playing at Kentucky, being a hero at home is something that you can’t experience anywhere else,” he said. “Being able to have that, being the hero at home in front of the fans, Big Blue Nation, that’s something that’s better than being a villain on the road.”

He then said the John Wall Dance was “pretty iconic” while adding that he got ready for every high school game by listening to Lauren Daigle and eating Peanut M&Ms — the secret sauce to becoming the state’s all-time leading scorer.

Well, that and the sweet tea he kept on the bench.

“Sometimes I think you can really only do in Kentucky maybe keep sweet tea on the bench so I would do that every game,” he said.

One of one.

Nothing better than being a hero at Rupp @Travis_Perry11 🫡#RaiseTheRoof pic.twitter.com/4wHyXYU13K

— CLUB BLUE (@ClubBlueNIL) September 30, 2024

Mark Pope mourns the loss of NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo

The NBA lost an all-time player and humanitarian on Monday as Dikembe Mutombo lost his battle with brain cancer at the age of 58. He was one of the best defensive talents in the history of the game, but a better person off the floor, dedicated to using his platform and resources for good.

The Kentucky head coach talked about the game’s loss and his experience battling the legendary shot-blocker in the post during their time together in the NBA.

“Dikembe Mutombo was one of the greatest global ambassadors of our game,” Pope said. “I was blessed to have the opportunity to compete against him and he was one of the toughest to go against!

“What I admired most about him was for as good as he was on the court, he was a better man off of it.”

Dikembe Mutombo was one of the greatest global ambassadors of our game. I was blessed to have the opportunity to compete against him and he was one of the toughest to go against!

What I admired most about him was for as good as he was on the court, he was a better man off of…

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) September 30, 2024