Under Mark Pope, Kentucky basketball: news from the transfer portal, the team’s 2024 roster, goals, and hires from leading UK experts
With years of experience covering the Wildcats, CatsPause provides up-to-date information on the Kentucky basketball team’s roster under new head coach Mark Pope.
The Kentucky Wildcats basketball team continues to dominate talk in the Bluegrass State, despite the Kentucky Derby being over and the PGA Championship being held in Louisville the following week. After Mark Pope left his position at BYU, longtime coach John Calipari was replaced on the Kentucky Wildcats roster. Pope has nine years as a head coach and has never won an NCAA Tournament game, despite his 1996 national championship as a player at the University of Kentucky. In order to help him secure that first victory—and many more—he intends to amass a roster of elite recruits and transfers for the Kentucky basketball team.
It’s not just a hope for Pope; it’s a requirement, as he inherited a Kentucky basketball team devoid of scholarship players due to eligibility expirations, NBA Draft declarations, and the college basketball transfer portal. Although he has embraced the transfer portal to the fullest, replacing an entire Kentucky basketball lineup will take time and effort. If you’re a die-hard Wildcat supporter or simply want to stay up to date on roster changes and college basketball transfer portal news, check out what the knowledgeable staff of insiders at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky, has to say.
The most recent information on the coaching change at Kentucky basketball and the roster changes is being provided by the team of insiders at CatsPause.com. Over the course of its more than 20 years of covering the Wildcats, CatsPause has established a strong reputation and has deep connections within the Kentucky athletic department. It’s also a great time to sign up because CatsPause is currently offering 50% off the first year of an annual subscription*.
The CatsPause staff is fully informed about the arrivals and departures from the Kentucky basketball team. Visit CatsPause right now to view all the exclusive content.
The Kentucky basketball team for 2024–25 is beginning to take shape, as Pope signed another important player this week. Ranking among the top players from the college basketball transfer portal, Lamont Butler, a transfer from San Diego State and the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year the previous year, committed to Kentucky. He has participated in 11 NCAA Tournament games in his career, averaging 9.3 points, 3.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 27.6 minutes per game.
With the addition of three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year Amari Williams earlier this month, Kentucky’s defense is already beginning to appear strong. During the previous season, he averaged 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game for Drexel. Pope is also expecting a number of guests in the next few days, including two recruits who have committed, Travis Perry and Collin Chandler. Get up to date on all of Kentucky’s roster changes by subscribing to CatsPause.
Not only did Calipari move to Fayetteville from Lexington, but five of his former Wildcat teammates did the same. Adou Thiero, a former 5-star prospect, was the most recent. He registered on the college basketball portal in late March and was still considering going back to Kentucky. Although UK did not keep him, it did sign the experienced Kerr Kriisa, who started his career at Arizona and played at West Virginia the previous year. Before averaging 11 points and 4.7 assists with WVU, Kriisa led the Pac-12 in both assists per game and 3-pointers made during his final season with Arizona.
Kriisa will be complemented in the backcourt by a pair of freshmen in Travis Perry, who is the No. 6 point guard in 247Sports’ Class of 2024 rankings, and Collin Chandler, who is actually in the Class of 2022 but served a two-year mission after originally committing to Pope at BYU. A guard who Big Blue Nation can all but rule out coming back to Lexington is former top-10 national recruit DJ Wagner. After making SEC All-Freshman with UK last year, Wagner put his name into the college basketball transfer shortly after Calipari left for Arkansas. After nearly a month there, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reports that Wagner will visit Calipari and Arkansas this weekend as it appears that returning to Kentucky is no longer an option. Join CatsPause to get the latest on all of Kentucky’s roster additions.
How to obtain insider knowledge Updates to the Kentucky basketball roster
Join CatsPause to find out who Pope is bringing with him and to receive all of the insider roster news. Pope may also be bringing at least one elite BYU player.
Under head coach Mark Pope, which players are Kentucky basketball’s top targets, and which former BYU player might end up in Lexington? Visit CatsPause to view their insider knowledge, which comes from a group of reporters with years of Wildcats coverage experience. As a reminder, sign up for an annual VIP membership* at CatsPause today before it’s too late to take advantage of the 50% off first year offer.
Terms: Only new members who sign up for an annual subscription to CatsPause are eligible for this offer. Subscriptions will re-bill annually at the standard rate following the first year. This promotion may be changed or canceled at any time by 247Sports.com. Send an email to support@247sports.com if you have any questions.
