Ayrton Oneill
With the 2024-25 UK men's basketball season underway, all eyes are on Mark Pope, the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, and his roster decisions. Pope has a difficult task ahead of him, with nine players joining the team via the NCAA transfer portal, three freshmen, and two walk-on players. The team has a wealth of experience, with nine players who have started elsewhere, and all eyes are on who Pope will choose for his starting five.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Coach | Mark Pope |
| Number of Players | 14 |
| Number of Freshmen Players | 3 |
| Number of Walk-on Players | 2 |
| Number of Players with Prior Starting Experience | 9 |
| Previous Season's Results | Won Midwest First Round vs. Troy; Won Midwest Second Round vs. Illinois; Lost Midwest Regional Semifinal vs. Tennessee |
| Player Heights | 6'4", 6'2", 6'6", 6'7", 6'5", 6'11", 6'3", 6'8", 7'1", 6'8", 6'9", 6'6" |
| Player Weights | 215 lbs, 208 lbs, 192 lbs, 215 lbs, 202 lbs, 235 lbs, 176 lbs, 203 lbs, 226 lbs, 222 lbs, 231 lbs, 195 lbs |
| Player Positions | Guard, Forward |
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What You'll Learn
Mark Pope's first Kentucky roster
Mark Pope, the former Kentucky Wildcats player, was hired as the 23rd men's basketball head coach at the University of Kentucky on April 12, 2024. Pope replaced John Calipari, who stepped down from the position after 15 years.
Pope's first Kentucky roster includes nine players who have started elsewhere. Some of the players who might be part of Pope's first roster include Kentucky freshmen D.J. Wagner, Reed Sheppard, and Zvonimir Ivisic, who were undecided about their future plans when Pope was hired. Four other players from the current Kentucky roster had not made any public statements about their plans at that time.
Pope travelled internationally and across the United States to assemble his first team. He flew to South America to watch five-star recruit Jasper Johnson compete in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. He also considered bringing some players from his previous team, BYU, to Kentucky. These included leading scorer Jaxson Robinson, who was ranked 55th in ESPN's NBA draft rankings.
Pope's first season as head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats was in 2024-25. His coaching debut was a 103-62 win against Wright State University.
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Speculation over who starts
In addition to the experienced transfers, there are three freshmen on the team: Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry. Perry, in particular, has generated buzz as the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky boys' high school basketball history, with an impressive 5,481 career points. With such a talented and diverse roster, Coach Pope will have to carefully consider how all the pieces fit together.
While the starting lineup is always a subject of intrigue, some have questioned whether it truly matters who starts the game. After all, in basketball, a player coming off the bench can often have just as much impact as a starter. However, there is still something to be said for the prestige and honour of being among the first five to take the court for the Wildcats.
With a wealth of options at his disposal, Coach Pope will have to weigh the benefits of experience versus youthful talent, and the importance of a strong starting lineup versus the depth of a strong bench. The decisions he makes will no doubt be the subject of much discussion and analysis as the season gets underway.
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Nine players with starting experience
For the 2024-25 season, Mark Pope, the new head coach of the UK men's basketball team, has a difficult decision to make regarding his starting lineup. This is because the roster has undergone a complete overhaul, with all 12 scholarship players being new to the programme.
Nine of these players are transfers from other college basketball teams, and all nine have considerable experience as starters. These players are: Ansley Almonor (Fairleigh Dickinson), Koby Brea (Dayton), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Andrew Carr (Delaware and Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Kerr Kriisa (Arizona and West Virginia), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Jaxson Robinson (Texas A&M, Arkansas and BYU), and Amari Williams (Drexel).
Ansley Almonor, a 6-7, 244-pound forward, is a perimeter threat and likely backup forward who started 69 games over three seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson. Kerr Kriisa, a transfer from Arizona and West Virginia, was also a starter at Arizona before transferring to West Virginia.
In addition to these nine players with starting experience, there are three freshmen on the team: Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry.
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Three freshmen
Mark Pope, the new head coach of the UK men's basketball team, has a difficult decision to make regarding the starting lineup for his first season in 2024-25. This is due to the roster overhaul, with all 12 scholarship players being new to the program. Nine of these players are transfers from other colleges, and all nine have experience as starters.
Chandler, Noah, and Perry will be looking to make their mark and secure a starting spot, but with so much competition, it won't be easy. The UK men's basketball team has a wealth of talent and experience this year, and Coach Pope has his work cut out for him to find the perfect starting five. With a mix of talented freshmen and experienced transfers, the team has the potential to be very successful.
The UK men's basketball team has always been a topic of speculation and intrigue, and this year is no different. With so many new players and a new coach, all eyes will be on the team to see who makes the cut and takes the court as a starter for the Wildcats.
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Two walk-on players
The UK men's basketball team has a brand-new roster for the 2024-25 season, with 14 players confirmed to be part of head coach Mark Pope's first squad. Two walk-on players are part of this roster: Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn.
Pope will have some challenging decisions to make regarding the starting lineup, as all 12 scholarship players are new to the programme. Nine of the players are transfers from other colleges, and all nine have experience as starters. This includes 6'7", 244-pound forward Ansley Almonor, who started 69 games over three seasons at Fairleigh Dickinson.
The three freshmen on the team are Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry. Chandler and Perry are in-state recruits, and Perry is the all-time leading scorer in Kentucky boys' high school basketball history. He scored 5,481 points during his high school career, which included being a starter as a seventh grader.
With such a wealth of talent and experience on the roster, Pope will need to carefully consider how to assemble his starting five. The speculation around who will make the cut is an annual preseason exercise for UK basketball, and this year is no exception.
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Frequently asked questions
Mark Pope, the head coach of the UK men's basketball team, has a difficult decision to make regarding the starting lineup for the 2024-25 season. The roster includes nine players who transferred from other colleges, all with starting experience, and three freshmen.
There are 14 players confirmed to be part of the UK men's basketball team roster for the 2024-25 season.
Nine players on the roster have starting experience elsewhere.
The three freshmen on the team are Collin Chandler, Trent Noah, and Travis Perry.
The players with previous starting experience are Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Brandon Garrison, Kerr Kriisa, Otega Oweh, Jaxson Robinson, and Amari Williams.
