Caleb Holt says Mark Pope coaching him with USA Basketball was 'big advantage' for Kentucky: "He believes in me."

Caleb Holt is a consensus top-10 prospect in the country, sitting at No. 5 overall in the 2026 On3 Industry Ranking and No. 2 at his position. A native of Huntsville, AL, the 6-5 shooting guard is a plus athlete with physical tools and the ultimate winner who plays with relentless energy and picks up 94 feet. He’s the guy every team needs to raise a championship floor — just as Team USA did by adding him to the U19 National Team for the 2025 FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup in Switzerland.

He may not score every possession or go nuclear from deep, but he’s going to find a way to positively impact the game.

“I feel like my motor — like, I never stop,” he told KSR at USA Training Camp in Colorado Springs last week. “Coming down the court, I’m always gonna come at you here. If I’m guarding you, I’m always gonna come at you. I wear people down with my motor, that separates me.”

That’s also why every school in college basketball is fighting to earn his commitment — including the Kentucky Wildcats.

He says his recruitment is “going pretty good” with a “a few more official visits between August and October” on the horizon. The five-star just wrapped up a trip to Ole Miss in April with previous unofficials to Houston and Georgia Tech.

How did the official in Oxford go?

“It was pretty good, I got to build a relationship with Coach (Chris) Beard,” he told KSR. “He believes in me a lot, he believes in my game. He wants me to come in there and change the program.”

Outside of Ole Miss, his first official, Holt says Alabama, Tennessee, Houston, Kentucky, Baylor and Kansas are the schools prioritizing him the most at this stage. For now, those are the programs expected to receive visits when the time comes this fall.

“Those are the ones off the top of my head. Those are the ones I really feel are prioritizing me right now. Those are the ones I’ll probably be taking my other visits to.”

When it comes to Kentucky specifically, Mark Pope was actually one of his coaches in Colorado Springs with USA Basketball. Things were already going well for the Wildcats, the UK head coach meeting with him twice back in September and then again in April.

Now, the two sides got some on-court work in together at Training Camp.

“(Pope) definitely wants me to come there, he wants me to help them win national championship,” he told KSR. “I’ve been talking to Jason Hart and Mark Pope is one of my coaches (at USA U19 Training Camp), so I’ve got a relationship with him. He’s a coach that believes in me, believes I can play one through three and just impact the game, dominate through my physical ability.

“My end goal is to hear my name in the draft and he feels like can help me get there.”

Pope left a positive impression on the five-star guard, drawing up plays and putting him in position to succeed. It was clear the Kentucky head coach trusted Holt to help him win games at this level, a sign it’d be the same way at the next in college.

“It’s good, it’s exciting. I didn’t expect him to be that cool — like, he’s drawing plays up for me. It’s a great sign, it shows he believes in me,” Holt continued. “That’s what I’m looking for in a coach, a coach who believes in me and lets me play through my mistakes, because I’m gonna be coming in as a freshman. For him to have a lot of hope in me and to put a lot of responsibility into my hands, that means a lot.”

Does Pope’s presence give the Wildcats an advantage in his own recruitment? How about all of the coaches in attendance with USA Basketball — Nate Oats (Alabama), Damon Stoudamire (Georgia Tech) and Hubert Davis (North Carolina) all have offers out to the standout guard and coached in the event, too.

“It’s a big advantage, because I’m with them trying to make a team,” he said. “They give me pointers, and I trust them, because they’re the best of the best at what they do. It’s a great advantage.”

That’s going to lead to an in-person meeting with Pope and the Wildcats in Lexington this fall.

“When the time is right, I’m definitely going to be taking an official to Kentucky,” he said.

We know about the visits, but what about a decision? What comes next in his recruitment as he inches closer to a commitment? He’s in no rush to pick a school, but it’s not something expected to drag out too long.

Once he wraps up officials, he’ll transition into decision mode.

“I definitely want to take my officials around the fall time, but I’m not in a rush to commit,” Holt told KSR. “I want to make sure this is the right opportunity for me and my family, the right fit for me and my family. Maybe like November or December, maybe January. It just depends on how my official visits go and how confident I am in whatever school I feel. I really don’t know right now, but when the time comes, I’ll definitely let you all know.”

What is he looking for when that time comes?

“Definitely a family-oriented coaching staff, a coaching staff who believes in me as a coach,” he said. “I want a coach who puts a lot of responsibility on me as a freshman, who wants me to come in and rock out. That’s really it, a coach who believes in me and an honest coach. If you tell me something, I want to believe whatever that is.”

He already said he feels Pope believes in his abilities. Will it lead to a commitment? A visit this fall will help decide that for the Wildcats.