Kentucky still in the mix with 2026 SF Billy White III, views him in the mold of Koby Brea

There aren’t many better shooters in the 2026 recruiting class than Billy White III, and that skill alone is keeping Kentucky interested in the 6-foot-8 wing.

“I talk to Kentucky, I would say, every week or so,” White told KSR last week at the adidas 3SSB Championships in Rock Hill, SC. “Just good conversations. They said Coach (Mark) Pope is gonna come out and watch me a little bit more this live period. I still hear from them a good amount.”

Pope and Co. are keeping a close eye on White, particularly during the July live period. Pope watched White suit up and play for ASAK last Thursday in Rock Hill. Assistant coaches Mikhail McLean and Alvin Brooks III have been staying in regular contact with the Texas native. The relationship between White and Kentucky goes back to the spring.

“Coach McLean came to Corpus (where he lives in Texas) a couple months back to come visit with me,” White said, adding that McLean has talked with him about visiting Lexington sometime this fall. “And just said he likes my progression and likes my game and thinks that Kentucky could really build me into an NBA prospect.”

Proverbs 16:3! “Commit to the Lord in whatever you do and He will establish your plans”❤️✝️ pic.twitter.com/eYXEnDHFFr

— Billy “Blanco” White III (@Billy_White_III) July 3, 2025

Across five games played last week at the 3SSB Championships, White averaged 12.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per outing while making 2.8 three-pointers per game. On his way to 25 points during ASAK’s 77-69 win over Garner Road Basketball Club, he poured in seven three-pointers. With his size and shooting ability, Kentucky has been making the case for him to follow in the footsteps of Koby Brea, who went from a mid-major role player at Dayton to a second-round NBA Draft pick at Kentucky.

“I’m a shooter,” White said. “That’s what I get recruited to do. You saw the success with Koby Brea this past year, and just how fast they (Kentucky) play, you get open shots all the time.”

An offer has to come first, though, before things can get serious. White has yet to officially receive one from the Kentucky coaches, but that could change by the end of the month if he ends up checking the boxes Pope is looking for in a high school recruit.

“They said Coach Pope coming to watch me is a big step towards that,” White said of potentially earning a UK scholarship. “So once he gets back from this live period, he’ll sit down with the coaches, and they’ll go from there with it.”

White already has a handful of official visits lined up for the next few months. He’ll make trips to Virginia (Aug. 28-30), SMU (Sept. 6-8), Oklahoma (Sept. 20-22), Oklahoma State (Sept. 28-30), TCU (Oct. 3-5), LSU (Oct. 10-12), and Maryland (Oct. 17-19). An OV to Kansas in mid-August is expected to get scheduled soon.

That being said, White is leaving his options open for more schools to hop into the race. Picking up a Kentucky offer after the live period wraps up at the end of this week would have the Wildcats right in the thick of his recruitment. He wants to trim down his list in the coming weeks and announce a commitment shortly after his visit tour is complete.

“That’s a program I’m looking forward to,” White said of his interest in Kentucky.

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