What Caleb Wilson's commitment to UNC means for Kentucky

Well, Mark Pope‘s first swing and miss has come, unfortunately. It had to come at some point, boasting essentially a perfect track record since his debut press conference in April, PR gold every step along the way. He nailed his staff hires, nailed his first roster, laid a strong recruiting foundation in the early signing period with three top-35 additions — two right out of Kentucky’s backyard, another who picked the Cats over Duke and UConn. Then he racked up statement win after statement win to open the season, five against top-15 teams while also starting 1-0 in the Louisville rivalry. The team has taken four losses, but given the circumstances and preseason expectations, his approval rating is like a 99.5 percent at this stage.

Tonight, it dropped to a good 99.2 percent, give or take a tenth or two. Caleb Wilson is the reason for that ever-so-slight dip, committing to North Carolina over Kentucky on NBA on TNT — one of the largest basketball platforms in the world.

What does that miss mean for the folks in Lexington? KSR breaks it down (way too late).

Still waiting for Pope’s first big fish

There is no bigger takeaway than this one when it comes to Wilson’s recruitment. Kentucky emerged as the perceived heavy favorite in the fall, seen as the final piece in the program’s 2025 class alongside Jasper Johnson, Malachi Moreno and Acaden Lewis.

It’s a strong group, ranked top-five nationally with those three coming in at No. 18, No. 33 and No. 34 overall in the On3 Industry Rankings, respectively. You could argue, though, two of the three were local layups, guys Pope had no business losing. Lewis chose the Cats over a pair of blue bloods, but is also the lowest-rated player of the bunch.

Wilson was a credibility bonus, potentially a monster PR win for Pope as a heavy hitter on the recruiting trail bringing in Kentucky talent, whatever that meant in terms of on-court wins. Whether it matters or not, there will be a vocal minority bringing their told-you-sos after losing his first bonafide top-10 kid to a fellow blue blood.

… but he proves he’s comfortable playing ball in big-time recruiting

Pope didn’t land him, but he knew what he was signing up for when he joined the Caleb Wilson party — and that means something. It was no secret in the recruiting world the blue-chip prospect would not come at a discount. He was always a premium talent with a premium price tag, and no matter how hard Pope stresses the importance of players coming to Lexington for the name on the front of the jersey, this one wouldn’t have been for free.

None of them are, but especially not this one.

At the end of the day, Kentucky was a top-two finalist for a high-dollar, top-tier high school prospect under Mark Pope. He didn’t reel in his big fish, but he played ball for this one, just as he will for others to come. Considering the trajectory of the program with Pope seen as a potential National Coach of the Year and UK seen as a Final Four contender in his first year, it won’t be long before he rakes in his picks of the litter.

Time for Nate Ament?

Could that come this cycle? It may not be probable, but it’s not impossible. The Wildcats recently made the list for No. 4 prospect Nate Ament, who is down to a final 11 of Arkansas, BYU, Duke, Georgetown, Kansas State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas. Ridiculous, sure, but it’s better than being left off that cut.

Ament, like Wilson, will be expensive — likely more expensive, considering the desperation factor that comes with late decisions in the spring when coaches get antsy to add superstar talent as options dry up. Oddly enough, the Cards are trending as a favorite several months ahead of an expected announcement with the Blue Devils and Razorbacks also discussed, but it’s early with plenty of time for movement as schools up their respective bids.

The 6-9 forward is a truly elite talent and a potential game-changer at the next level and beyond. Will Pope pivot from one high school superstar to the next? If so, he has some ground to make up, but time is on his side.

Getting better bang for buck in the portal

You didn’t ask for my opinion, but I’ll give one anyway — you’ve read this far, so why not hear me out?

Rather than dropping several million dollars on a single teenager, give me multiple veterans out of the portal for the same money, especially if the NCAA allows student-athletes to have five years of eligibility, a potential change currently being discussed. Where you’re losing the NBA upside, you’re making up for it with added depth, experience and leadership while the cost will allow you to get the best of the bunch.

Elite freshmen have reemerged in college basketball, sure, but the get-old-and-stay-old model clearly works. For every Cooper Flagg there are several Johni Broomes, Mark Searses, Chaz Laniers and Lamont Butlers. If we’re talking two premium portal additions vs. one premium high school addition, for argument’s sake, I’m not complaining about the former.

If there is any school that knows recruiting rankings don’t always translate to postseason success, it’s Kentucky. Pope’s job is to win games, not obsess over the optics of landing or losing five-stars. Let’s not lose sight of the assignment here.