LIVE BLOG: Who Mark Pope is visiting on the first day of the recruiting period
Alvin Brooks III wasn’t lying when he told KSR he had “leg room coming soon” when the recruiting period opened on September 3. It’s his version of a Bat Signal to let the world know he’s on the road, bouncing around from plane to plane in hopes of finding the next Kentucky Wildcats. Mark Pope was at his first stop right as the clock struck midnight, followed by nothing but chaos from now through the end of April with only three short breaks from November 10-13, December 24-26 and April 2-9.
Outside of that, it’s open season for coaches on the recruiting trail, and the Wildcats are looking to set the tone early with quite the day-one itinerary.
Where in the world are Mark Pope and his assistant coaches? KSR’s Live Blog will be rolling throughout the day with all of the updates you need to know on Kentucky’s top targets.
Kentucky will visit Obinna Ekezie Jr. later this week
09/03/2025 03:33:47 PMThe No. 3 player in the 2027 class isn’t on today’s list of visits, but will get one from Kentucky’s staff later this week, he tells Jacob Polacheck.
Deron Rippey’s cat loves Mark Pope — is it a sign?
09/03/2025 12:01:55 PMKentucky has wrapped up its in-home with Deron Rippey with Mark Pope, Alvin Brooks III and Jason Hart all making the trip for the Wildcats. The photo from the visit deserves some immediate takeaways:
- Rippey’s cat is clearly a fan of Coach Pope. That’s gotta be a good sign, right?
- Shoes off, always. Gotta respect the house rules.
- Pope went with the business look wearing a suit while Brooks and Hart went more casual with sweatshirts
- Ron Ron Sr. looks like a very happy dad after meeting with the Wildcats
Alvin Brooks’ first “LEG ROOM” of the day
09/03/2025 11:43:50 AMBrooks is on the road — or rather, in the air. Is this “LEG ROOM” en route to see Baba Oladotun in Maryland or Jordan Smith Jr. in Virginia?
Jordan Smith Jr. gets a Kentucky meeting on day one
09/03/2025 10:34:25 AMWe’re already getting Pope vs. Kelsey, Pope vs. Scheyer and Pope vs. Barnes battles on Wednesday, why not add a Pope vs. Coach Cal head-to-head to the list? Kentucky will be at five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr.‘s open gym in Virginia on day one of the recruiting period.
There, the Wildcats will be joined by staffs from Arkansas, Duke and Syracuse.
How about an in-home visit with the newest reclass target?
09/03/2025 10:26:54 AMFive-star forward Baba Oladotun reclassified to the class of 2026 back in August and is now the No. 10 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Kentucky offered him as a 2027 recruit last September, and now, the staff continues to prioritize him following his jump.
The Wildcats are in for the 6-8 forward this morning and an official visit is in the process of being scheduled, Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ has learned.
Kentucky, Duke and Tennessee meet with Deron Rippey Jr.
09/03/2025 10:04:17 AMUp next? Another five-star guard with more big-name coaches and programs in attendance competing for his commitment. Deron Rippey Jr. of Blair Academy (NJ) — the former home of Otega Oweh — hosted Pope and the Wildcats for an in-home visit on Wednesday. Elsewhere, Duke’s Jon Scheyer and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes are also on the books for an in-home with the 6-2 prospect ranked No. 12 overall and No. 2 at his position in 2026.
Mark Pope vs. Pat Kelsey for Tay Kinney at midnight
09/03/2025 10:00:21 AMKentucky’s first stop of the day was an interesting one, considering the overwhelming buzz favoring Louisville for the five-star guard and adidas athlete out of Newport. Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey both met with Tay Kinney shortly after the recruiting period opened at midnight, On3’s Joe Tipton reported. KSR has learned these meetings took place in Atlanta where Kinney is playing his senior season of high school basketball at Overtime Elite.
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