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In April, Mark Pope took over as the Kentucky Wildcats coach following John Calipari's departure to the Arkansas Razorbacks. With their coach leaving, most players entered the transfer portal while four players, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Antonio Reeves and Justin Edwards, declared for the draft.
Coach Pope has since had to rebuild the roster from the ground up and helping him in this are the boosters and the fanbase. Matt Jones of Ky Sports Radio initially reported that Kentucky's collective, Club Blue, has received huge donations from the general fanbase, Blue Nation.
Later, Kyle Tucker of The Athletic reported that the number has risen to $690,000 in recurring annual payments.
Coach Pope has already put his money to good use as he is slowly but steadily signing the best talent from the transfer portal.
A look at Mark Pope's new roster
Mark Pope brought with him his 2024 recruit, Colin Chandler, who flipped his commitment from BYU to Kentucky on April 15. The coach also retained the commitment of Travis Perry from Kentucky, who originally signed with John Calipari.
From the transfer portal, the Wildcats signed the best shooting guard, Koby Brea from the Dayton Flyers, guards Kerr Kriisa from West Virginia, Lamont Butler from San Diego State, and Otega Oweh from Oklahoma.
Forward Andrew Carr from Wake Forest, centers Amari Williams from Drexel and Brandon Garrison from Oklahoma State are on the frontcourt for the Wildcats.
All the players signed thus far give Kentucky a well-balanced roster and fans are excited to see who else Mark Pope signs in the rest of the offseason.
The highlight of the coach's signings has been the effort he puts in. Pope, sometimes accompanied by his wife, Lee Anne, has been traveling across the country from Las Vegas to Oklahoma and his previous team in Utah to meet up with players.
Pictures of the couple picking up the potential signees on official visits to the school have been making the rounds on the internet.
From Kentucky to the Vatican, Mark Pope's fame crosses borders
Coach Pope received a divine endorsement as Lexington priest Jim Sichko, was photographed gifting Pope Francis a white and blue Kentucky jersey of Mark Pope #23.
Coach Pope faces an uphill task of leading the Wildcats to their long-awaited championship victory and could use all the help he receives in fulfilling the task.
What do you think of the roster in Kentucky? Let us know in the comment section below.
