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Kentucky basketball Pro Day: Ten things we learned from Mark Pope’s first open practice

A new era of Kentucky basketball is here, but a staple of the previous Wildcats’ regime returned to Lexington on Monday night.

UK held its first Pro Day under head coach Mark Pope, who presided over the showcase in Memorial Coliseum, where representatives from all 30 NBA teams gathered four weeks before the start of the 2024-25 season. It was the 10th Pro Day for the Wildcats’ program, continuing a fall tradition that began under John Calipari and will apparently remain part of UK’s preseason moving forward.

The event was closed to fans — Pro Day streamed live on SEC Network Plus instead — but local reporters were permitted to watch from the Memorial Coliseum stands, making this the first open practice for media members during the Pope era.

Here’s what we learned from Pope’s first Pro Day:

On the same page

Who’s going to be doing the talking on this Kentucky team? It was difficult to tell Monday night. That’s because there was such a constant buzz of chatter coming from the court that it was hard to decipher exactly where all the talking was coming from. It became clear as Pro Day wore on that pretty much everyone was getting in on the action, from giving encouragement to teammates to shouting out instructions during drills.

The result was a group that looked a lot more cohesive than many of the Calipari era squads at this stage of previous preseasons.

On one hand, that’s understandable, since seven of these Wildcats are in either their fourth or fifth season of college basketball. On the other hand, it was a bit surprising, since none of these players have ever been teammates in the past.

The dynamic was not lost on the scouts in attendance.

“They already seem like they’re together,” one scout said of these Cats, before adding that he expected Pope’s team to win at a high rate as a result of that quickly formed camaraderie.

A healthy roster

Nagging injuries are a common thing in college basketball this time of year, and these Wildcats have had a few here and there.

But it was clear Monday that this team is about as healthy as can be heading into the final four-week stretch before the season begins.

Pope recently mentioned a minor setback for Collin Chandler — already coming back from a two-year layoff from basketball due to his mission trip overseas — but the freshman guard was moving well at Pro Day and participated in all of the team’s drills.

Perhaps the most encouraging sight on the injury front for the Cats was the presence of Koby Brea, the sharpshooting transfer from Dayton who missed some of the summer to rest old injuries suffered earlier in his career.

Brea was draining 3-pointers from all over the court Monday night, and frequent practice observers told the Herald-Leader that he’s really come on in recent weeks. The 6-foot-7 guard will be a major factor for UK’s offense this season, and it looks and sounds like he couldn’t be doing much better at the moment.

New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope conducts his first Pro Day in front of NBA scouts in Memorial Coliseum on Monday night.
New Kentucky head coach Mark Pope conducts his first Pro Day in front of NBA scouts in Memorial Coliseum on Monday night.

Plenty of depth

Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey said over the summer that Pope has “two of everything” on his first UK roster, and the expectation across college basketball has been that these Wildcats would go 10 deep once the games begin.

They might go even deeper.

The 11th and 12th players in the rotation are assumed to be in-state freshmen Travis Perry and Trent Noah, but neither recruit got his spot at Kentucky just because of the proximity to home. Perry, the state’s all-time leading scorer and reigning Mr. Basketball, was committed to Calipari’s 2024 class before the coaching change. Noah, also one of the top scorers in state history, was signed to SEC rival South Carolina before joining Pope’s first team.

Both have apparently been holding their own in UK’s early practices, and both showed it Monday night.

Perry lived up to his reputation as a shooter who rarely misses (and no one is going to outwork the former Lyon County star). One team official said Noah has progressed as much as any UK player since the start of summer practice, and the 6-5 forward was unafraid to mix it up with bigger, stronger players during Pro Day, often coming away with rebounds in traffic — a nice supplement to his offensive versatility.

Perry and Noah are still likely the 11th and 12th players on this roster, but — assuming that’s true — the gap between the two freshmen and the rest of the roster isn’t nearly as wide as fans probably expected.

Both are capable of playing real minutes this season, and all 12 scholarship Wildcats on this team looked the part of an SEC player.

UK players put in a full practice in front of NBA scouts during a Pro Day event televised nationally on SEC Network Plus on Monday night.
UK players put in a full practice in front of NBA scouts during a Pro Day event televised nationally on SEC Network Plus on Monday night.

A fun style

The offseason talk of fast play, ball movement and 3-point shooting was not exaggerated.

There was plenty of all that Monday night.

To emphasize just how perimeter-heavy these Wildcats will be, when it was time to break off into position groups, the two centers — Brandon Garrison and Amari Williams — went to the side goal with assistant coach Mikhail McLean, and all 10 of the other scholarship players stayed on the main court to work on driving and shooting drills.

At one point during that stretch, there were five Wildcats on each side of the court putting up 3-pointers, a pleasant picture for fans of “modern” basketball and surely a sign of things to come this season.

Meanwhile, Pope emphasized ball movement and implored his guys to never stop on the court. There were touch passes galore, the pace going the other way on change of possession was quick, and the ball rarely stayed in one spot very long.

Pope’s offense is as advertised, and the tempo should be quick in Rupp Arena this season.

Kentucky’s defense

These Cats should be able to score. Can they defend?

We’ll see, but it’s certainly clear that they’re going to try.

Not everyone in the rotation will be an above-average SEC defender, but the most spirited portions of Pro Day took place on the defensive end.

One drill was particularly interesting. It featured one UK defender attempting to get a one-on-one stop against four offensive players of varying skill sets — with no breaks.

Lamont Butler was smothering against opponents small and large, though fellow point guard Kerr Kriisa did manage to nail a 3-pointer (while Butler was all over him). Junior guard Otega Oweh was physical and tough to handle for ball handlers. Travis Perry let a quick 3-pointer fly, the only Wildcat to score against Oweh in the drill.

Brandon Garrison was the standout, his 6-10, 250-pound body flying all over the court for stops on the perimeter and at the basket. When he swatted Ansley Almonor’s corner 3-pointer to go a perfect 4-for-4 in the drill, Garrison flexed and let out a celebratory yell as his teammates swarmed around him on the baseline.

Those three should bolster this UK defense. Amari Williams — listed at 7-feet tall and 262 pounds — should be a force, as well. The three-time Coastal Athletic Association defensive player of the year is long and strong and has apparently been giving all of the Wildcats fits around the basket in practice.

Pro Day showed that this team has some real stoppers.

A new Kentucky walk-on?

All 12 scholarship players and the two returning walk-ons — Grant Darbyshire and Walker Horn — were on the court Monday night. And they were joined by a 15th player in full uniform.

The Herald-Leader was told that the mystery player — wearing jersey No. 20 — was Zachary Tow, and he’s still in the process of attempting to walk-on with the 2024-25 team.

The Wildcats held an open tryout for UK students to earn a walk-on spot in late August, and Tow’s involvement with the team is a continuation of that process. His addition to the roster is not yet official, but his presence — in full uniform — with the rest of the Wildcats at Pro Day could be a sign that Tow will ultimately be with the team.

Tow mostly stuck to the sidelines during Monday’s session, encouraging UK’s scholarship players throughout the night. He did break off with big men Garrison and Williams during the positional drills, while junior guards Darbyshire and Horn stuck with the other 10 players.

Tow is a 2022 graduate of Madisonville-North Hopkins High School, where he averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game for a team that went 23-9 and advanced to the regional semifinals during the 2021-22 season.

Getting to the basket

Kentucky’s coaches want the Cats to shoot 35 3-pointers per game, and they should make perimeter shots at a high rate this season. Cutting will be a major part of the UK offense, and that collective skill was on display Monday night. The big men — Garrison and Williams — also showed off their passing chops, a major part of Pope’s offensive approach.

But when this team needs someone to go get a bucket late in the shot clock or at the end of a close game, who’s going to do it? That’s not yet clear.

There were lots of dribble handoffs and plenty of movement off the ball during Pro Day, but when there were no open shots or lanes to be found, the result was often a contested 3-pointer. Consistent penetration appears to be the biggest weakness of this offense, though there’s obviously still time to figure out who’s capable of getting to the basket.

Otega Oweh seems best suited to do it, and his strength on both ends of the court was evident. Lamont Butler can get past the first line of defense, but the 6-2 guard won’t be the biggest or strongest finisher against high-level rim-protectors. Jaxson Robinson has some of this ability, but it’s certainly not the strong suit of his offensive game.

As exciting as Kentucky’s offense should be, this aspect looks like a work in progress.

Freshman Collin Chandler (5) gets to the basket for a dunk during Monday night’s Pro Day in Memorial Coliseum.
Freshman Collin Chandler (5) gets to the basket for a dunk during Monday night’s Pro Day in Memorial Coliseum.

Top-end talent is lacking

One observation passed along by a frequent practice attendee this fall:

“We don’t have that elite talent.”

That was to be expected given the unique construction of this Kentucky roster, relative to the teams of the Calipari era, and it was glaringly apparent when watching Monday’s showcase.

Let’s make it clear: there are no players on this team with the dynamic ability of John Wall, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Towns or the countless other can’t-miss young Wildcats who annually found their way to Lexington under the former UK coach. Even though that should be obvious to any Kentucky fan who’s been paying attention, it will still take some getting used to after 15 years of future NBA stars playing in Rupp Arena.

That comment about the lack of “elite talent” wasn’t necessarily a lament, however. For every Wall or Davis over the years, there was another five-star recruit who didn’t live up to the lofty recruiting expectations.

The individuals who make up Pope’s first UK squad might not have the long-term potential of most of Calipari’s teams, but the new coaching staff clearly found players who can play at a high level in college and seemingly have the unselfishness to come together as one on the court.

This team won’t break any records on draft night, but the pieces are there to make a run.

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope addresses his players during Pro Day, which was attended by representatives from all 30 NBA teams.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope addresses his players during Pro Day, which was attended by representatives from all 30 NBA teams.

UK’s NBA draft streak

So, will any of the players on the court Monday night be drafted in June?

The Wildcats produced 50 draft picks in Calipari’s 15 years as head coach, with at least one first-rounder every year. UK’s overall draft streak sits at 17 years, with Jodie Meeks and Joe Crawford being selected in the two seasons before Calipari coached his first UK game. The last NBA draft night without a Wildcat was 2007, the final year of the Tubby Smith era.

For that streak to continue, someone on Pope’s first team might have to outplay expectations. While there are few recent 2025 mock drafts from reputable outlets, ESPN’s first attempt at projecting the 58 picks for next year featured zero Kentucky players.

Obviously, the majority of Pope’s first roster features older transfers, and that’s not the most common model for high draft picks. The first eight selections — and 11 of the top 12 picks — in the 2024 draft were all 20 years old or younger. Every player on UK’s roster except freshmen Trent Noah and Travis Perry will be at least 21 years old on 2025 draft night.

That doesn’t mean the Wildcats will be shut out next year. In fact, this team has several players capable of playing their way into the draft.

Jaxson Robinson — at one time projected as a pick in the 2024 draft — is often viewed as the most likely Wildcat to be selected next year. Andrew Carr — a 6-11 forward who can make 3-pointers at a high rate — is a good fit for the current direction of the league and has impressed scouts that have been through Lexington this offseason.

Some of the other veterans on the roster will have legitimate opportunities to see their name on draft boards as the season gets going, and three of the younger guys, in particular — Collin Chandler, Brandon Garrison and Otega Oweh — certainly have NBA draft potential, though perhaps not after this season.

While UK’s draft streak could very well extend to 18 years, there were no sure things on the court Monday night.

Brandon Garrison, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is among the UK players viewed as a potential NBA draft pick.
Brandon Garrison, a transfer from Oklahoma State, is among the UK players viewed as a potential NBA draft pick.

NBA scouts show up

Calipari is gone, but the NBA scouts still numbered in the dozens for UK’s Pro Day, despite the lack of clear-cut draft picks on this Wildcats’ roster.

The scouts in attendance were seated in two rows on a courtside riser, and they mingled with UK staff members while the Wildcats warmed up. Pope’s first action upon entering Memorial Coliseum was to walk down both lines of scout seating and shake hands with each NBA representative. All 30 teams were represented.

The number of scouts in town was likely as much a sign of the intrigue over Pope’s current roster as it was a show of respect for the immediate future of Kentucky’s program.

While it’s possible that UK ultimately produces zero picks for the 2025 draft, Pope has made it clear that the Wildcats will remain a mainstay on draft night. And he’s making good on that promise on the recruiting trail.

The Cats have already pulled in commitments from two top-25 prospects in the 2025 class — Kentucky natives Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno — and Pope is well-positioned with a few other recruits in that range, to the point that UK is a real player to land the nation’s No. 1 class next year.

Calipari’s presence led to an explosion in UK’s NBA draft numbers, and while the overall volume of selections might dip in the coming years, the Pope era isn’t going to lack for pro talent.

The turnout Monday night was an indication of that.

NBA scouts gathered in Memorial Coliseum for Kentucky’s Pro Day event Monday night.
NBA scouts gathered in Memorial Coliseum for Kentucky’s Pro Day event Monday night.

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