Mark Pope on the cusp of MAJOR recruiting momentum before coaching a real game

The record books indicate Mark Pope hasn’t coached a game yet at Kentucky — his 71-point masterpiece against KWC didn’t count, unfortunately — but he’s already got the Wildcats rolling going into his first season in Lexington. There was plenty to love about the first exhibition win, just as there was in the Blue-White scrimmage, Big Blue Madness and Pro Day.

Oh, and how about those two big-time in-state recruiting wins he picked up in Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno — two top-25 prospects nationally? Yeah, that was a fun stretch, too.

Pope has nailed just about every move since he took the job back in April, starting with the coaching staff and roster through the preseason action with the real stuff just days away. A feel-good blowout this week vs. Minnesota State to close out the exhibition schedule would be welcomed, as well. But what about some added serious recruiting momentum before the first-year coach picks up what hopes to be his first win as a Wildcat?

That’s expected when four-star point guard Acaden Lewis, the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 5 at his position, makes his decision on November 2. He’ll be choosing between Kentucky, Duke, and UConn with the Wildcats given a 87.7 percent chance to land his commitment, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

“They’re great people and really genuine,” Lewis told KSR+ following his official visit to Lexington, his last trip before making a decision. “They have a lot of knowledge with Coach [Alvin] Brooks and Coach [Jason] Hart, who have had a lot of great guards in the past. [Mark] Pope is a super cool dude. I met his wife and everyone. It’s a great staff and a great environment.”

Lewis’ addition would give the Wildcats three commitments ahead of the early signing period, likely pushing Kentucky back to the No. 1 spot in On3’s Team Recruiting Rankings — ahead of Duke and UConn.

That’s somewhat of a given at this point, though. The Wildcats have been seen as the overwhelming favorite to land Lewis for months now as Pope and his staff have worked to close it out over the nation’s top blue bloods. The four-star guard has been outspoken about teaming up with Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, developing chemistry at various camps and national events this offseason. They’re very open to playing together and appear to be less than a week from officially doing so as pledges.

It’s what’s next, however, that could be next-level huge for Pope — and it’s reasonable, if not likely.

Remember all of that buzz in September about a potential package deal with Lewis and five-star forward Caleb Wilson to Kentucky? Yeah, that hasn’t slowed down in recent weeks and the first domino is about to fall toward that possibility, only making Lexington a more appealing destination for the latter.

Wilson is the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 power forward in the class of 2025, wildly versatile and skilled at 6-9, 205 pounds. One of the best defenders on the EYBL circuit this summer with major offensive upside, he’s a premium talent and an immediate game-changer for any recruiting class — particularly for Pope as he looks for his first non-local top-10 commitment at Kentucky. And as things stand today, the Wildcats are seen as the favorite, holding a 72.6 percent chance to land him in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

North Carolina is seen as Kentucky’s top competitor while Arkansas, Ohio State, Georgia Tech and Tennessee are among the others still pushing for his services. NIL is a major topic of conversation in his recruitment — as you’d expect for a player of his caliber — but all indications are that the Wildcats are a serious player in that department as they look to close on a commitment. He previously told KSR+ that he was targeting a November or December decision, meaning we’re inching closer to an announcement.

Can Pope seal the deal on all four? Getting the third publicly on board next Saturday will be a huge step in the right direction, allowing that trio and the entire Kentucky coaching staff to push their chips in on Wilson in the coming weeks.

Racking up the blowout wins with a free-flowing, run-and-gun offense won’t hurt in the meantime.