Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope announced Friday that the program will host an open tryout later this month for potential walk-ons for the 2024-25 season.

The Wildcats, a preseason top-25 team, are asking interested players to submit their height, weight, position and contact information for their high school basketball coach.

The tryout is open to all academically eligible, full-time Kentucky students. According to the announcement, the team will narrow its list of potential walk-ons and invite preferred candidates to the tryout Aug. 30.

Though an open tryout is rare for a blue-blood college basketball program, Kentucky is not the first to hold one.

Just last year, Louisville coach Kenny Payne held such a tryout and asked the public to send walk-ons “our way” because the team was desperate to add more talent during a challenging season.

In women’s basketball, TCU was forced to add four walk-ons last season through an open tryout after multiple players were sidelined with injuries.

To be clear, Kentucky is not in such a situation.

The Wildcats will be led by transfers Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler, along with a collection of talent that Pope — who as a player helped Kentucky win a national title in 1996 — has assembled for his first year coaching in Lexington.

La Familia found little to like in the “City of Brotherly Love” on Friday night.

The Kentucky alumni team’s run in The Basketball Tournament came to a close at the hands of Carmen’s Crew in Friday’s semifinals, losing 76-70 at Daskalakis Athletic Center in Philadelphia.

Former Buckeyes superstar Jared Sullinger and Desonta Bradford led Carmen’s Crew — a squad of Ohio State alumni — to the victory, as the pair combined for 31 points. Sullinger had 16 points, while Bradford ended with 15. Jamel Morris, who contributed 11 points, hit the game-capping 3 after the Elam Ending started.

La Familia bowed out of the tournament despite having four players post double-digit scoring performances, led by Kerem Kanter’s game-high 17. Willie-Cauley Stein and Andrew Harrison had 14 apiece, followed by Eric Bledsoe (11). Cauley-Stein also grabbed nine rebounds, the top total in Friday’s game.

The difference in the contest was perimeter shooting. Half of the field-goal makes for Carmen’s Crew came from beyond the 3-point arc; it knocked down 28 shots, with 14 from distance. La Familia, on the other hand, shot 26.3% (5 for 19) behind the 3-point line.

That’s where Nate Sestina’s absence Friday was most conspicuous.

Sestina, La Familia’s sharpshooter from deep, entered Friday with 15 triples made in four TBT outings, tied for most among all players (Takeover BC’s AJ English and Happy Valley Hoopers’ Greg Lee). But Sestina missed Friday’s matchup because of “a previously scheduled family obligation,” per a team announcement Thursday afternoon.

Without him, La Familia simply didn’t have enough to keep up with Carmen’s Crew. The group of former Wildcats trailed for most of the contest. Their last lead came at the 2:08 mark of the first quarter, when they held a two-point advantage (10-8). They played catch-up the rest of the way, heading into halftime down 40-27. Carmen’s Crew stretched the lead to as many as 16 (45-29) before La Familia stormed back, drawing within two on two separate occasions during the Elam Ending before Morris’ walk-off 3.

With the win, Carmen’s Crew clinched a spot in Sunday’s championship game against Forever Coogs, which held off Eberlein Drive, 76-73, in Friday’s first semifinal.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.

Think you can play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats? Now is your time to shine, get your sneakers laced up.

No, seriously. The men’s basketball program is hosting an open tryout for the 2024-25 season where full-time, academically eligible UK students will be able to give it their best shot for a walk-on spot on the roster.

To join the likes of Walker Horn and Grant Darbyshire on the bench, the application process is simple. Just email [email protected] with the subject: UK Walk-On Tryout.

From there, the interest email should include the following information:

1. First and Last Name
2. UK ID Number
3. UK Email
4. Cell Phone Number
5. Playing Experience (HS, JC, Transfer) & Profile (Height, Weight, Etc.)
6. HS Coach Contact Info

If you are selected for tryouts, you will receive a tryout authorization form via email with the following documents required before Monday, August 26 in order to be cleared to try out:

1. Completed Basketball Physical Paperwork (you can schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor or go to student health)
2. Copy of the FRONT and BACK of your Insurance Card.
3. Copy of Sickle Cell Test (with Negative Test Result) – test results take a few days to process.

KSR interns at UK, this includes you. Consider it part of your initiation. Time to show us what you’ve got.