Last offseason, former Kentucky HC John Calipari left no choice for the incoming HC Mark Pope as he took his star players with him to Arkansas. With his bets on the transfer portal, Pope managed to bring in stars like Otega Oweh and Kerr Kriisa that shot the Wildcats to Sweet 16 after six straight years. This time though, the HC is already planning for not just his second season but also the future. And he has already made big moves. One in particular is officially extending a scholarship offer to Christian Collins, a third-overall and second in small forwards prospect in the 2026 class.

Without wasting time, Pope and his recruiting staff flew to California last week during a West Coast recruiting swing to watch Collins up close. With the live game aligning with his tapes and numbers, the decision was easy. Collins too confirmed his interest in the program by tweeting, “Blessed and thankful to receive an offer from the University of Kentucky!!!!” But there are many others in the fold, including Duke’s Jon Scheyer who also offered the young wing that very day. In fact, he is also being pursued by other elite programs like Alabama, Arizona, UCLA, USC, Cal, Kansas State, and Oregon. And we can see the hype.

Of lately, last three months to be specific, Collins has proven himself to be a dual threat with a complete game. He is attacking the rim, shooting from the deep, and contributing even when away from the ball. Defending him can be a nightmare as he stretches the floor and creates mismatches. And the fan of Tracy McGrady and Kevin Durant knows what his strengths are, “I’m very versatile and can play whatever the coach needs to put me on the floor.” But still, there’s a bit of skepticism surrounding Collins– not everyone is sold, including Lance Dawe of the Locked On Kentucky podcast.

While pointing out the pros of the 2026 recruit, Lance brought up a few things that Collins need to work on. He says, “The first big thing you have to point out is that he needs to add a lot more strength. Obviously, he’s going to be able to do this over his final senior season and then through his offseason before he goes to whatever college that he ends up choosing. His outside shooting, I think, could use some work. Statistically, it’s not the best.

“I think his form and his base could use a little bit of improvement. Of course, that’s coming from me who probably is not the best shooter on the planet but still I know what a good jump shot looks like and what one doesn’t and I think he can improve on it in that area. He’s also not the most efficient players statistically although he gets really good outings sometimes, and I think he had a couple recently during the EYBL circuit in Arizona.”

It has been a remarkable journey for Collins. He went from being a 5’8″ 4-star recruit ranked 40th in the nation in 8th grade to 6’8″ top 3 star last season. A lot of credit for this rise goes to his coach, renowned NBA trainer Olin Simplis, who has helped shape his game.

The growth was evident during his time on the Nike EYBL circuit with Team Why Not, averaging 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 44.2% from the field and nearly 89% at the line. While there are areas in his game to improve, as Lance points out, given his career trajectory so far, Pope can bet on his development. And seemingly so, Kentucky matches the features Collins has laid down for his future school.

Talking to Jamie Shaw of On3, he laid down his wishes. “I’m looking for somewhere I can really develop as fast as possible, get me ready for the next level. I want to go somewhere that is like a family, a home away from home. Really, I want to go somewhere I am comfortable.

“I’m looking for a program where they play through their wings, I feel like that is my position for college and the NBA, if that is what God has planned for me.”

But for Mark Pope, this isn’t the time to rest. He still needs to finalize his roster for the upcoming season.

Mark Pope makes big moves

Last season was nothing short of a rollercoaster for the Wildcats. They wrapped up SEC play in 6th place with a 10-8 record. There were flashes of real promise, but key injuries at the wrong time held them back from going further. Still, their Big Dance to the Sweet 16 was a step forward–especially when compared to the struggles of their final few years under John Calipari.

As Year 2 of the Mark Pope era gets rolling, Kentucky is quietly stacking the building blocks. Three new freshmen are on board: Four-star, 20th ranked combo guard Jasper Johnson, four-star center Malachi Moreno, and Andrija Jelavic from Croatia. Three players from last season are sticking around as well: Brandon Garrison, Collin Chandler, Trent Noah.

That total could grow, especially if leading scorer Otega Oweh decides to return after testing the NBA Draft waters—and word is, that’s looking likely. But let’s be clear: the Wildcats weren’t just sitting around. They’ve been active and aggressive in the transfer portal too.

The Wildcats have brought in five new faces. Denzel Aberdeen, Mouhamed Dioubate, Jaland Lowe, Kam Williams, and the one grabbing all the headlines–Jayden Quaintance. All five are rated as four-star transfers or better by 247Sports. Pope and his staff clearly aren’t leaving anything to chance this time around.

Mark Pope might already be eyeing the future with Christian Collins, but he knows the pressure is on right now. Last season’s Sweet 16 run won’t cut it this time. With the talent assembled, the bar has been raised. Can Pope deliver when it matters most?