4-Point Play: Recruiting, Goose Givens and the Arkansas Wildcats

It’s a busy time in Lexington, the Kentucky coaching staff juggling practice (and football scrimmages) back home at the Joe Craft Center while also preparing for back-to-back live periods this weekend and next. What’s on the schedule for Mark Pope and the Wildcats? And how about some former Cats set to make their NBA debuts in Las Vegas, namely Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham?

It’s all coming your way tonight on 4-Point Play.

Where in the world is Mark Pope?

It’s a live period this weekend, which means the Kentucky coaching staff is hitting the recruiting trail, dividing and conquering once again like most in-person evaluation opportunities.

Mark Pope and Jason Hart are getting things started in Rock Hill, S.C. at the Adidas 3SSB’s Palmetto Road Championship, watching the likes of Darryn Peterson, Nate Ament, Mikel Brown, Malachi Moreno and Braylon Mullins.

Elsewhere, Alvin Brooks III is in Phoenix at the Puma NXT Circuit PRO16 Finals for the likes of Chris Cenac, Eric Reibe and Kingston Flemings. As for Cody Fueger, he’s in Atlanta at the NBA Global Academy Games checking out the likes of Julius Halaifonua (2025), Oscar Goodman (2025), A’mare Bynum (2025) and Dash Daniels (2027), among others.

And that’s not even including the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, which runs from July 12-21 in North Augusta featuring dozens of Kentucky’s top recruiting targets in 2025 and beyond. The staff will be in and out of Riverview Park Activities Center over the course of these two weekends — next being a live period, as well.

Mark Pope and his staff are dividing and conquering again for this weekend’s live period

– Pope and Jason Hart in Rock Hill at @3SSBCircuit
– Alvin Brooks III in Phoenix at @NxtProHoops
– Cody Fueger in Atlanta at NBA Global Academy Games pic.twitter.com/tP1FXcLBoZ

— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) July 11, 2024

Goose Givens sees grown men that will ‘let it fly’ at Kentucky practice

Cameron Mills isn’t the only former Wildcat sharing his thoughts from the Joe Craft Center after attending a few practices this summer. Goose Givens checked out Pope’s first squad in Lexington and gave his observations on The Leach Report with Tom Leach on Thursday.

The most glaring? Kentucky’s size and experience — two things the Cats have struggled with since the start of the transfer portal era. That won’t be the case with seven super seniors on the squad.

“The thing I noticed the first time I walked in and saw ’em was it was a whole bunch of men as opposed to the 18-year-olds we’ve seen coming in. I was pretty excited about that because the games we’ve struggled with over the last three, four or five years are the teams with experience,” Givens said. “The guys that are big and strong and know how to use it, they’re quick and don’t waste any motion, they know what needs to be done. I noticed that very quickly about this team — and that’s a good thing.”

Givens raved about Kentucky’s communication, a product of that experience and leadership. “They do a lot of talking,” he said, “and that’s going to be a good thing.” One caveat to that, though? They’re using that communication to be overly nice right now. Pope’s system is built on trust both individually as a team, knowing where to be and when to take shots — always if they’re open. As things stand today, the Cats are almost too selfless when they should be letting it fly.

“I saw a lot of really, really good players, but I haven’t yet seen a really good team. There’s a difference. It’s going to take some time,” Givens said. “Everybody right now is in that trying to be nice stage, and teams go through it. They want to pass the ball, want to get the ball to this guy and that guy, want to make sure everybody involved. The fact of the matter is Mark Pope’s offense is built around a few things. One, they want to get the ball up the floor in three seconds. … The second thing is if you receive that ball in the frontcourt and you’re open, shoot that thing. … Let it fly. That keeps the defense from having time to get set up, you can’t zone this team when the offense is really working.”

Not saying Givens wants this team to be selfish, but he definitely wants them to be assertive to create “kind of an NBA-looking game” because “that’s the way this team is going to play and it’s going to be fun for all of us.”

Sheppard, Dillingham and Reeves make their Summer League debuts on Friday

It’s a big day for our Cats in the NBA on Friday and beyond, the start of several players’ journeys as pros. We’ve seen Kevin Knox, Justin Edwards and Tre Mitchell already get started in the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League in the past week, but the real fun begins tomorrow when the NBA 2K25 Summer League tips off in Las Vegas. There, all 30 teams will play with 11 former Kentucky standouts taking the floor, headlined by the program’s 2024 draft picks in Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham and Antonio Reeves.

What’s the schedule for tomorrow? Let’s run through them:

• Keion Brooks (Pelicans) vs. Timberwolves – 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• Rob Dillingham (Timberwolves) vs. Pelicans – 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• Antonio Reeves (Pelicans) vs. Timberwolves – 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• Reed Sheppard (Rockets) vs. Lakers – 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
• Oscar Tshiebwe (Pacers) vs. Nets – 8 p.m. ET on NBA TV

You’ll see another run of Cats take the floor on Saturday:

• Justin Edwards (76ers) vs. Pistons – 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• Kevin Knox (Warriors) vs. Suns – 11 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• Chris Livingston (Bucks) vs. Bulls – 4:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
• Tre Mitchell (Thunder) vs. Raptors – 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
• Jacob Toppin (Knicks) vs. Hornets – 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2
• TyTy Washington (Bucks)vs. Bulls – 4:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV

Kareem Watkins heads to Fayetteville

Want to know the least surprising news in the history of time? Former Kentucky walk-on Kareem Watkins has signed with Arkansas.

Joining the Wildcats in 2020-21, Coach Cal’s long-term recruiting bait used to lure his half-brother DJ Wagner to Lexington in the 2023 class will be joining the gang in Fayetteville. He was announced as one of four walk-ons suiting up in red and white this season for the Razorbacks on Thursday.

Watkins joins Wagner, Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisic among former Wildcats on the Arkansas roster while Boogie Fland, Karter Knox and Billy Richmond were previously committed to Kentucky before reopening their recruitments following Coach Cal’s departure. Chuck Martin, Kenny Payne, Brad Calipari, Bruiser Flint, Chris Woolard, Lunetha Pryor, Chin Coleman, Kevin Butty and Kevin Gallagher also followed Calipari to Fayetteville among staff members.

The Arkansas Wildcats, everyone.