Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are getting ready to take on the Florida Gators to start SEC play, and there will be a very important visitor on campus. Five-star small forward Anthony Thompson is going to be in Lexington for a visit to see the #10 Wildcats take on the #6 Gators in what should be an elite Rupp Arena crowd.

Thompson is ranked as the 17th best player in the 2026 class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. The 6’8 small forward from Ohio has drawn a lot of attention from school, and it looks like it will be a blue-blood battle for the five-star.

When watching film on Thompson he is the perfect player to play the three in Mark Pope’s system as he is excellent at getting to the rim but also poses a threat as a shooter from deep. The lefty is a great shooter, which, at his size in Coach Pope’s offense, will make him a star.

It is still very early in this recruitment, but he has already been on campus before, so seeing Thompson coming back for another visit is great. Coach Pope and his staff are putting themselves in a great spot early into this recruitment, and getting a foot in the door early always helps.

In the 2025 class, Coach Pope proved that he is more than capable of landing some elite five-star players, and he would love to do that again in the 2026 class. Thompson is a name for Kentucky fans to remember as recruiting picks up in the 2026 class.