Mark Pope has been busy recruiting since he became Kentucky’s coach. Here’s his next stop.

It has been a whirlwind offseason for new Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope since he was officially announced as John Calipari’s replacement on April 12.

Basketball-wise, the vast majority of Pope’s time and resources have been spent putting together a brand-new UK roster for the 2024-25 season, which is currently comprised of 12 scholarship players (three incoming freshmen and nine transfer portal pickups).

But Pope’s recruiting efforts at Kentucky already stretch beyond the upcoming season. Pope and his coaching staff — which includes associate head coach Alvin Brooks III and assistant coaches Cody Fueger and Jason Hart — have already hit the recruiting trail to watch prospects in action from the 2025 and 2026 recruiting classes.

Following time spent watching events on the Nike EYBL circuit in Indiana, the Adidas 3SSB circuit in Texas, the Puma PRO16/NXT circuit in Kansas and even the FIBA Men’s Under-18 AmeriCup in Argentina, the new Kentucky basketball coaching staff has its next recruiting stop lined up.

The 2024 edition of the NBPA TOP 100 Camp is already underway in Orlando, Florida. The event, which began Saturday and runs through Thursday, brings together 100 of the top high school basketball players in the country.

Held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the NBPA Top 100 camp is celebrating its 30th year and has produced more than 300 future NBA players, along with countless more prospects who went on to star at the college level.

This premier prep basketball event will feature personnel from all 30 NBA franchises in attendance, as well as college coaches and recruiters. Tuesday and Wednesday are marked as an “evaluation period” on the NCAA Division I men’s basketball recruiting calendar, which means the four UK coaches permitted to go out recruiting — Pope, Brooks, Fueger and Hart — can attend the NBPA Top 100 camp on those days.

The Herald-Leader will also be attending the NBPA Top 100 camp from Monday through Wednesday.

Which players at the NBPA Top 100 camp is Kentucky recruiting?

Whichever combination of Kentucky coaches make the trip south to Orlando, they will be in line to watch a litany of top college basketball prospects in a well-respected evaluation setting.

Among the 100 players at the NBPA Top 100 camp are several recruits who have already had conversations with or been linked to the new Kentucky coaching staff.

Some of those players include:

▪ Class of 2025 five-star small forward Tounde Yessoufou (6-foot-5, 211 pounds).

▪ Class of 2025 four-star combo guard Davion Hannah (6-foot-5, 175 pounds).

▪ Class of 2025 four-star center Malachi Moreno (6-foot-11, 210 pounds).

From top to bottom, the players taking part in the camp in Orlando boast talent, intrigue, and in some cases, name recognition.

Several players at the camp are the sons of former NBA players. This group includes class of 2025 shooting guard Kiyan Anthony (Carmelo Anthony), class of 2026 small forward Tajh Ariza (Trevor Ariza), class of 2025 small forward Andre Iguadola Jr. (Andre Iguadola) and class of 2025 small forward Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (Jermaine O’Neal).

Class of 2025 small forward Dorian Hayes — the son of former Kentucky fan favorite and longtime NBA player Chuck Hayes — is another future college player at the camp.

Also taking part in the camp is class of 2025 power forward Jack McCaffery, the youngest son of Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, and class of 2025 small forward Jacob Wilkins, the son of hall of famer Dominique Wilkins who is committed to play at his father’s alma mater, Georgia.

A pair of Kentucky-based prospects are also in Orlando: In addition to the aforementioned Moreno (Great Crossing High School in Georgetown), class of 2025 point guard Kaden Magwood is in attendance. Magwood is from Louisville but plays at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

Another interesting storyline to follow at the NBPA Top 100 camp will be the prospects taking part from regions of the country where the new-look Kentucky coaching staff holds recruiting ties.

Pope spent the best years of his NBA career in Milwaukee. Five players at the camp — class of 2025 small forward Amari Allen, class of 2025 combo guard Jamarion Batemon, class of 2025 combo guard Davion Hannah, class of 2025 small forward Xzavion Mitchell (an Iowa State commit) and class of 2025 center Kai Rogers — hail from Wisconsin. Additionally, class of 2025 power forward Chris Nwuli of Utah’s Wasatch Academy is at the camp, although he told the Herald-Leader last month that he hadn’t yet directly heard from the new Kentucky coaching staff.

And as always, plenty of basketball talent will be on offer at the event from California and Texas, which are the recruiting domains for Hart and Brooks, respectively.

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