Just a few weeks ago, Mark Pope stood in the middle of a roaring locker room when Kentucky finally punched its ticket to the Sweet 16 in six years. Consequently, the first-year head coach had proven his worth over John Calipari. Especially when he didn’t inherit Cal’s entire roster when he took his elite high school picks while moving to Arkansas. With no obvious choice, Pope made his bets on the transfer portal in the half offseason.

With the dices he rolled, Pope built his first portal class– Jaxson Robinson, Amari Williams, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr, Koby Brea, Kerr Kriisa and Ansley Almonor. They pushed the team to a Sweet-16, but of course, that’s not the end of the road. So, with his second year in full rotation at Lexington, this time, Pope is choosing to continue in the transfer portal poker over recruiting freshmen off of high schools because “The portal gives you a huge advantage over recruiting high school, because you have data from college.” Let’s get an understanding with the recruitment drama in Lexington so far:

• August 16, 2024: 4-star center Malachi Moreno commits to UK.
• September 6, 2024: 5-star recruit Jasper Johnson commits to Kentucky.
• November 2, 2024: Sidwell Friends School’s (DC) four-star guard Acaden Lewis commits to Mark Pope’s Kentucky.
• March 28, 2025: First transfer portal commit Kam Williams names Lexington as his next stop after Tulane.
• April 10, 2025: Acaden Lewis decommits from UK.
• April 11, 2025: Kentucky formally announced the addition of former Alabama sophomore 6-ft-7 forward Mouhamed Dioubate, Pittsburgh transfer point guard Jaland Lowe, and five-star forward Jayden Quaintance re-signed with Kentucky nearly a year after de-committing due to Calipari’s exit.
• April 12, 2025: Croatian center Andrija Jelavic, a Class of 2025 recruit, signs with Pope.

However, seems like being the bluest of blue bloods is also a curse in itself because just as easy as he had landed new faces in a month last year, this off-season is proving to be a challenge with another bad news for Pope. Interestingly, it might just have to do with the program itself and not Mark– the history, the proven caliber, and a spot to be a star.

“Most of the weekend, it felt like Lamar was trending towards Kentucky; that was going to be where he ended up going and that was going to end up being the place that he would be committing to. And that’s not where he went,” Rob Dauster said on Field of 68: After Dark.

After Acaden Lewis uncommitted from the program, one of Mark’s biggest offseason targets, Lamar Wilkerson, slipped through his fingers. The Sam Houston State guard, a 6-foot-5 sharpshooter who averaged 20.5 points per game and shot 44.5% from beyond the arc, had taken a visit to Lexington. The momentum seemed to be heading in Kentucky’s favor. Recruiting insiders already had him written down for Wildcats call. Then, it happened. Wilkerson ended up committing to Indiana.

It was a gut punch. He would’ve filled a glaring need: A go-to perimeter scorer for Mark Pope, stretching defenses. And his shot-creation ability could have filled a void for a team hoping to make the jump from Sweet 16 hopeful to Final Four contender and more. But Darian DeVries, who had flown out to see the guard, making him feel like a priority in his program, won the game. ‘Priority’ is the make-or-break word here.

“The sales pitch from Darian DeVries is like, ‘Hey, Indiana hasn’t been very good for a while. They’ve been mediocre for a long time. You can be a part of something here to be beloved.’ And not that you can’t at Kentucky, but it’s been done over and over again… for the most part, Kentucky has been very good for the last 15 years,” Jeff Goodman added. He wasn’t wrong.

Indiana has for long, retained its status as a Blue Blood program. Until the early 90s, it floated right up there with consistent Elight Eight appearances. But of late, Mike Woodson couldn’t work magic, failing to even make the tournament for 2 consecutive years and adding on to the 2-decade long Final Four drought. You know what that means for Wilkerson. A perfect blend of big-time name program and an opportunity to be the protagonist.

With Tucker DeVries and Reed Bailey as the only current potentials on the starting lineup, the story is already taking shape. Plus, the guard isn’t shying away from admitting to any of this. “But I didn’t want to go to Kentucky and just be another guy,” he said.

At Kentucky, Wilkerson may have found himself in a crowded rotation. In Indiana, he’ll be central to the program’s identity. That promise of a starting role, paired with a strong connection to Coach DeVries, sealed the deal.

Pope started the off-season well when he managed to retain his roster, except for Kerr Keriisa, who entered the portal not long after the Wildcats’ loss to Tennessee and Otega Oweh, committed a couple of days ago to the 2025 NBA draft. But Pope still has Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry are still there. This would hardly let Wilkerson see impactful minutes.

And yes, the Wildcats haven’t had a deep tourney run in a while, but no one would be surprised if they managed to pull one off soon. Pope proved it in his first year already. For stars like Wilkerson, they need a path they forge on their own. So Goodman’s point hits home. But while Kentucky might be getting some new faces and losing some, one is moving on from college basketball.

Eyes on Otega Oweh as Mark Pope looks for his next move

While Wilkerson’s commitment elsewhere stings, Pope still has a chance to make a major roster-saving play: convincing Otega Oweh to return. Kentucky’s leading scorer has declared for the NBA Draft but has kept his college eligibility intact. His potential return could stabilize the backcourt and provide the scoring boost.

“You’re looking at all the names and guys. I mean, Otega Oweh put his name in for the draft, but I would assume he’s more likely to come back. I mean, you would think he’s back, wouldn’t you?” said Goodman, again on Field of 68.

Interestingly, the odds of Oweh returning seem high. After transferring from Oklahoma, he led Kentucky with 16.2 points per game and became a focal point of Pope’s system. Without a first-round draft projection, Oweh could benefit from another season in Lexington—both for his development and to elevate Kentucky’s chances in March. But for now, he has set things in motion for his professional career.

Oweh took to his social media and posted, “To the best fans in the nation, the Big Blue Nation- Getting to play the game I love each day, knowing I have your support alongside my family and friends, has truly been a dream come true, and I am incredibly blessed. I’m taking the next step and have declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, while maintaining my NCAA eligibility. God Bless. Double O.”

Nevertheless, the situation highlights just how fluid college basketball has become. For Pope, Wilkerson’s decision may be a speed bump—but it also serves as a reminder. In today’s landscape, coaches must not only build rosters but continuously sell their programs, re-recruit their players, and adapt to sudden changes.