Mark Pope backs 6'10 forward as Kentucky's next "superstar": "He is hungry right now"

Four of the five non-seniors Mark Pope brought into Kentucky last offseason are set to return to Lexington for the 2025-26 season. After his first year at the helm did not go according to plan, Pope is hoping to see those returnees take a massive leap in their development.

On Wednesday, Pope joined CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein to discuss his team heading into the summer. He shared how excited he is to get to work with his new roster and highlighted the returnees he believes will be the key to his team's success.

He singled out 6-foot-10 forward Brandon Garrison, who Pope thinks has the potential to have a huge impact for Kentucky.

"Brandon Garrison, man, he’s shown even in this young offseason, he is hungry right now," Mark Pope told Rothstein (at 39:36). "He’s a McDonald’s All-American who had an unbelievable first year at Oklahoma State as a freshman, and then clearly took a massive jump forward last year.

"I think he’s ready to emerge as a superstar, and he understands how huge this summer is for him. He’s really focused. He’s got a very precise agenda, things he’s working on. I know he’s really hungry."

Garrison, who transferred to Kentucky last season, averaged 5.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in his first season with the Wildcats. Besides Garrison, Otega Oweh, Trent Noah and Collin Chandler will also be returning to Lexington.

Mark Pope's Kentucky ranks 4th in 2025 transfer team rankings

Kentucky coach Mark Pope has been burning up the NCAA transfer portal this offseason. After losing the vast majority of last season's squad, Pope was tasked with constructing a roster almost entirely from scratch.

According to 247 Sports' transfer rankings, Pope has done just that, landing the fourth-best transfer class in the nation behind St. John's, Michigan and Louisville.

So far, he has added five new names to the Wildcats' team, headlined by former Arizona State freshman forward Jayden Quaintance.

"We’re really excited about Jayden," Pope said, via On3. "In fact, I was just with him yesterday, and he is a hulking mass of like, physicality and the greatest kid you’re ever going to meet in your life."

Quaintance, a former five-star recruit, averaged 9.4 ppg and 7.9 rpg while starting in 24 games for the Sun Devils as a freshman.

The rest of Kentucky’s transfer class includes Florida's Denzel Aberdeen, Tulane's Kam Williams, Alabama's Mouhamed Dioubate and Pittsburgh's Jaland Lowe.