Big Blue Madness shaping up to be important recruiting event for Mark Pope

The first Big Blue Madness of the Mark Pope era is still roughly seven weeks away, but it’s shaping up to be the first major recruiting event for the new head coach of Kentucky men’s basketball. As of late August, we’ve already learned of four important visitors for the 2024 edition of BBM. More names will surely be added as time passes, but this is the current list of expected visitors.

Who will be at Rupp Arena in Lexington for the program’s premier preseason event (set for Friday, Oct. 11)? Let’s dive in below and find out, but first, a quick word for our regular recruiting sponsor.

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2025 official visitors

Tounde Yessoufou (SF) 6-5, 210 | St. Josepg (Santa Maria, CA)
4-star: No. 19 overall, No. 4 SF

• Tounde Yessoufou called Kentucky his “dream school” earlier in the summer, which has usually been the kiss of death for a UK target over the years. But this recruitment feels different. After finally extending Yessoufou an offer in July, the Wildcats have been right near the very top of his leaders ever since. This will also be his final official visit before going into decision-making mode. Yessoufou has already officially visited Arizona and Southern California with future OVs scheduled for Baylor and Tennessee.

Malachi Moreno (C) 7-0, 210 | Great Crossing (Georgetown, KY) KENTUCKY COMMIT
4-star: No. 25 overall, No. 1 C

• Mark Pope’s first 2025 commit, Malachi Moreno will spend his time at Big Blue Madness playing recruiter. He immediately put on his recruiting hat after announcing his pledge to UK, making pitches to Jasper Johnson and Braylon Mullins. Moreno has been a regular visitor at Big Blue Madness, as this will be his third year in a row attending this event as a recruit. This will be Moreno’s first and only official visit.

2026 unofficial visitors

Tay Kinney (PG) 6-2, 160 | Overtime Elite (Newport, KY)
4-star: No. 33 overall, No. 6 PG

• After picking up an offer from Kentucky on Wednesday while on an unofficial visit, Tay Kinney revealed a return trip to Lexington for Big Blue Madness, which will be for another unofficial. Behind a huge summer on the AAU circuit, Kinney has become a full-blown national recruit. Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Villanova, and Michigan (and more) have all offered him since July. Kinney recently left the Bluegrass for Overtime Elite in Georgia — where he’ll spend his final two high school seasons — but now that Kentucky has extended a scholarship, a return home to college is fully on the table.

Jayden Johnson (SG) 6-5, 180 | Trinity (Bowling Green, KY)
4-star: No. 49 overall, No. 14 SG

• Jayden Johnson has yet to receive an offer from Kentucky, but the in-state prospect is on the staff’s radar. He also has fall visits planned to the likes of Louisville, Southern California, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech. A big and strong wing, Johnson could use a strong junior season at Trinity to truly establish himself as a top target for the Wildcats.

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