Mark Pope can't wait for BBN to see Kentucky's 'three special freshmen'

Mark Pope‘s second year as head coach of Kentucky men’s basketball is filled with preseason story lines. When will Jayden Quaintance make his return? Can Otega Oweh make a push for All-American status? How will Andrija Jelavić‘s game translate? Who will take the biggest leap? Will the three-point shooting be as good as last season? Will the defense and physicality go up a step?

And on, and on, and on…

But there’s another plot line this season that could play a significant role in defining the ceiling of this season’s group of Wildcats: the freshmen class.

Pope recruited a trio of young prospects to Lexington, including two from the Bluegrass State, all of them ranked among the top 40 high school players in the country. Convincing Jasper Johnson to choose UK over North Carolina was a huge win for Pope. Malachi Moreno was the top center prospect in his class. Braydon Hawthorne was the late addition after decommitting from West Virginia, but his stock soared in the lead-up to his commitment.

Just how much will they all play as true freshmen in 2025-26? That’s to be determined. Kentucky is incredibly deep this season with plenty of veterans. Johnson’s offensive skillset will get him on the floor early. Moreno could also see early-season minutes while Quaintance continues to recover. Hawthorne is drawing plenty of praise, but could be the furthest away from seeing real playing time.

Regardless, the Big Blue Nation will get a taste of all three at some point in the season. During the program’s Media Day on Monday, Pope was gushing over how excited he is for the fanbase to see them in action. “We got three special freshmen. I don’t know who to start with,” he said. Here is everything he had to say about each of his rookies:

Braydon Hawthorne (6-8, 190) Beckley, WV | No. 35 overall

“I’ll start with BH. I’ll start with Braydon Hawthorne. Braydon Hawthorne is like — I cannot wait for you guys to spend time with Braydon Hawthorne. He is just joy. He is joy. And if you’ve ever been privileged to have a friend that has no guile, then you know what I mean about how lucky you are to be around a person that is just unfiltered.

“Just gives you his whole heart. He’s not putting up a wall. He’s not trying to be too cool. He just is, like, just genuine joy. I love his kid, and his ceiling. Tayshaun Prince came and visited us a couple weeks ago, and I looked at those guys standing shoulder to shoulder. I’m like, my gosh. Right now, BH is actually just a little bit broader than Tayshaun, which is crazy. But this Braydon Hawthorne, he’s built special, and I think he’s got an incredible upside.”

Jasper Johnson (6-5, 180) Lexington, KY | No. 36 overall

“Jasper Johnson, I can’t tell how proud I am of him. The intentionality with which he’s trying to grow in the places that might not have been his strengths, like he is digging in on the defensive side and trying so hard to buy into what we’re telling him this game is going to demand of him this season. He’s doing an unbelievable job. He’s become a much, much more consistent, consistent shooter, as well as being dangerous. And you know, his percentages are really good right now, and so I’m incredibly proud of his focus, and he’s growing every single day in important ways.”

Malachi Moreno (7-0, 250) Georgetown, KY | No. 28 overall

“And Malachi Moreno, he walked on the court and was a presence from the very second he walked on the court. And he’s gonna have some growing pains because he’s a freshman, but his impact is incredible. I’m trying to remember if I’m saying these numbers right. He’s in the high 70s, low 80s in terms of field goal percentage right now, and he’s our leading rebounder on the team. And he just is a dominant force inside, and his communication skills are growing. He’s got a chance to be really special in a list of bigs that have been incredible here at Kentucky.”

NBA scouts will get their look at all three on Tuesday night for Kentucky’s Pro Day. You can do the same. Pro Day is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network+.

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