Kentucky
Twitter loves Kentucky’s home-run hires of Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart
Remember when people questioned if Mark Pope would be able to recruit at a place like Kentucky?
While he still needs to fill out the roster, Pope has been killing it when it comes to recruiting assistant coaches.
It began when Pope was able to reel in former G-League Ignite coach Jason Hart, who was a major player on the recruiting trail during his time with the USC Trojans. Hart also built significant connections with elite high school recruits like Jaden Hardy, Scoot Henderson, Matas Buzelis, and Ron Holland
But Pope wasn’t done there.
After the Kentucky Wildcats were turned down by Scott Drew to be the school’s next head coach, Pope was later hired, and he just plucked Drew’s top assistant coach away from the Bears in Alvin Brooks III.
During his time at Baylor, Brooks helped reel in four of the top 10 highest-rated commits in program history, including top-five recruit VJ Edgecombe in the class of 2024, who picked the Bears over Duke and Kentucky.
I’d say Pope just assembled one of the best staffs in America, and Twitter agrees.
Here are the best Twitter reactions to the big news!
BREAKING:
Baylor assistant coach Alvin Brooks III is finalizing a deal to become an assistant coach at the University of Kentucky.
This is a GREAT pick up. pic.twitter.com/OReRJvBSY5
— Casey (@casey_madis) April 24, 2024
This is Pope’s staff at Kentucky so far:
Alvin Brooks III (associate HC)
Jason Hart (G League Ignite HC/former USC asst)
Cody Fueger (BYU asst)
Mark Fox (special asst)Pope has one more off-the-road spot to fill. I’m told it’ll be a while before that pick is in.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) April 24, 2024
Hard to stress just how huge this is for Mark Pope.
Brooks III is one of the most respected assistants in the nation. Unanimously respected while also feared on the recruiting trail. Exceptional eye for talent.
That core group of Brooks, Cody Fueger and Jason Hart is special. https://t.co/mFqMycQFFP
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) April 24, 2024
I see @KyleTucker_Ath reporting Jason Hart will come to Kentucky as an assistant
If so, this is a MONSTER hire.
Spent a ton of time around him at USC – he is a great coach, person and recruiter, who frankly should’ve been a college head coach a decade ago.
— Aaron Torres (@Aaron_Torres) April 19, 2024
When Coach Pope was hired and staff speculation began, Coach Alvin Brooks III was a name I thought of, but admittedly never thought it would/could happen. Well, here we are. One of the most respected assistants in the game with some BIG TIME recruiting chops.
Really excited!
— Brandon Ramsey (@BRamseyKSR) April 24, 2024
Jason Hart equals good hire. Coached guys like Buzelis, Scoot Henderson, & Holland in the G-League which is now defunct. He also coached over a half-dozen NBA players at USC. Mark Pope & Hart played together for the Bucks in 2000-01.
— David Sisk (@CoachDavidSisk) April 19, 2024
Alvin Brooks III & Mark Fox are expected to be officially announced as part of Mark Pope’s staff over the next few days.
Cody Fueger & Jason Hart are already here. And Pope talks about how they’re getting along so far.
“Those two together are dangerous.” https://t.co/jykfdYIeWy
— Ben Roberts (@BenRobertsHL) April 24, 2024
The Jason Hart hire is a much bigger deal than most people will make it out to be. HUGE get for Pope.
Opens up another level of recruiting.
Looks like Pope is going to go with some West Coast flavor on his staff for Year 1.
Mark Fox last coached at Cal
Hart with the G…
— Coach Ryan (@CoachRyanKY) April 19, 2024
A Big 12 coach on Kentucky’s hire of Alvin Brooks III:
“An awesome dude, one of the most respected Coaches in our league. He will have an instant impact on their roster. Home run hire.”
Kentucky fans should be excited about this one.
— Tristan Pharis (@TristanUda) April 24, 2024
Class of 2026, 5-star PF, Moustapha Diop on the hire of Mark Pope and Jason Hart at Kentucky.
“It’s a very good hire and I was pleased to hear [Mark Pope] is adding Jason Hart to his staff as I have a very close relationship with Coach Hart.” #BBN
— Chris Beasmore (@CBeasmoreSports) April 22, 2024
Jason Hart is really good on the recruiting trail and I am told he is very well liked in the recruiting world
One coach just told me, “that’s a homerun for you guys”
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 19, 2024
Mark Pope on Jason Hart: “Jason Hart is everything as a coach that he was as a player. He has boundless energy. He’s fearless. He is stubborn. But he has endless joy and love for this game and our players.
“He has all of the grit that you’d expect from a big-time Syracuse point…— Keith Taylor (@keithtaylor21) April 22, 2024
Cody Fueger- Rising star and amazing offensive mind
Jason Hart- Tons of connections with recruiting and brings years of experience.
Mark Fox – Over 30 years of coaching experience. Knows his stuff.
I like these additions.
— Wyatt Huff (@Wildcat_wave) April 19, 2024
The best part about the Alvin Brooks III hire to me is that he has a strong recruiting base in Texas. That is an area where there is constantly elite talent…
Julius Randle
PJ Washington
Tyrese Maxey
De’Aaron Fox
Jarred Vanderbilt
Cason Wallace
Andrew/Aaron Harrison— WT – Adou Enthusiast (@WildcatsTongue) April 24, 2024
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The best shooter in college basketball will, in fact, stay in college basketball — and Kentucky is ready to make its final push.
Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA Draft and will play somewhere at his current level in 2026-27. That’s not expected to be back in Ames, as Cyclone coach T.J. Otzelberger made clear, saying that if the 6-8 forward doesn’t make the jump to the pros, “it’s important that he’s able to find a landing spot at a college that fits what he’s looking for.”
Could Lexington be that final destination? The perimeter sniper already said he’s got respect for the Wildcats and Mark Pope, watching his programs closely since his time at BYU when they competed against each other in the Big 12.
In his eyes, he could be the piece Kentucky was missing this past season in the program’s Round of 32 exit, led by Momcilovic’s 20 points and five rebounds in the Cyclones’ 82-63 victory in St. Louis.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader’s Ben Roberts last week at the NBA Draft Combine. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.
“And obviously, Kentucky last year, he didn’t have enough shooters around him to really coach, I feel like, the way he wanted. But I think — if I were to choose Kentucky — that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”
Momcilovic averaged a career-high 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.5 minutes per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 48.7 percent from three and 87.8 percent at the line. He knocked down 260 3-pointers, good for 3.7 makes on 7.5 attempts per contest.
The former four-star recruit has been Kentucky’s dream portal target all offseason. Now, he’s officially a free agent, pulling out of the draft ahead of the withdrawal deadline.
On Tuesday, head coach Mark Pope revealed that there will likely be no summer trip for the 2026-27 Wildcats.
“We’re probably a lean towards not going right now,” Pope told Darrell Bird of Cats Pause.
The NCAA recently adopted a proposal that will allow schools to take summer tours every year after the rules previously limited schools to one trip every four years. Even if it ended up being somewhere close by, this would’ve been a great experience for the Cats to get some exhibition games in, especially with the roster overhaul they’re going through.
Oh well. The good news is UK will still have plenty of summer practices to develop and build chemistry.
Kentucky
Funeral arrangements announced for Eastern Kentucky man electrocuted while power washing building
MORGAN COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – Funeral arrangements have been made for a Morgan County man who was electrocuted while pressure washing a building last Friday in Johnson County.
Services for 48-year-old Jonathan “Jon” Brown will be Sunday, May 31, at 2 p.m. at Jamie Ferguson’s Garage in West Liberty.
According to his obituary, Brown was a former Morgan County Fiscal Court magistrate, and the owner of Kentucky Pool Company and a power washing business.
Brown also helped out with radio broadcasts of Morgan County High School sports.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
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