Kentucky basketball’s path to being an elite team is clear in Mark Pope’s third season

Mark Pope and the Kentucky basketball team are under two months away from getting the season started, and Big Blue Nation can’t wait to see what this team has to offer. There has been some frustration about losing Mark Mitchell, and this is understandable. Some fans feel that this team won’t be elite without Mitchell, but that is not the case.

Obviously, this team is back to where it was a couple of weeks ago where Mitchell was not in the picture and during this time the path to Kentucky being an elite basketball team was clear. It is all dependent on the upside of the of the players on this roster. There are a bunch of players who possess this high-level upside, and Pope will need some of these players to pan out this season.

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope gives an update on the upcoming 2026-27 season during a press conference in Lexington, Kentucky July 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There are six players on this Kentucky roster who I consider to be the upside players on the team. Those six players are Alex Wilkins, Mason Williams, Braydon Hawthorne, Kam Williams, Ousmane N’Diaye, and Malachi Moreno. All six of these players have a chance to be breakout stars in college basketball this season.

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The two guys who just have to hit their upside for this team to have a shot at being special are Wilkins and Moreno. Wilkins comes over to Kentucky from Furman, where he had a really good true freshman season, almost averaging 18 points per game. The question with the 6’6 two guard is whether or not the adjustment to the SEC will go smoothly.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Furman Paladins guard Alex Wilkins (10) dribbles the ball against the UConn Huskies in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Moreno had a great freshman season at Kentucky in a year where not many expected him to have a large role….

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Publish date : 2026-09-08 15:14:00

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