National recruiting analyst says these two recruitments biggest for Mark Pope, Kentucky
The recruitments of Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno loom large for Kentucky and Mark Pope.
Mark Pope spent much of this offseason recruiting for this season — specifically through the transfer portal. But, now its full steam ahead for him and the rest of his staff at Kentucky for the 2025 class.
Pope has been adament about keeping the state’s top talent local and is making it part of his priority right away.
Two local prospects who can help with that and set the tone immediately are Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno. While Johnson is no longer in Kentucky, he grew up in Woodford County and is now at Overtime Elite in Georgia for his final high school season.
Moreno remains at Great Crossing High School in Georgetown, KY.
So, just how important are these two for Pope? Rivals national basketball analyst Rob Cassidy says Kentucky needs to keep at least one in state.
“Most important at the moment are the recruitments of local products Jasper Jonson and Malachi Moreno, both of whom are from the Lexington area,” Cassidy wrote. “It feels as though Pope needs to land at least one of the two in-state stars if he hopes to avoid hearing some groans from Big Blue Nation.”
Obviously the recruiting under Mark Pope will look different than it did under John Calipari. The consistent five-star and top-10 talent will likely not be coming to Lexington on the same frequency as they did before.
But that doesn’t mean it can’t and won’t happen periodically. And the 2025 class could be a catapult for future success.
“In some ways,” Cassidy continued. “The 2025 class is the chance to make an opening statement for a coach who needs to advance in the NCAA Tournament every year in order to appease his fan base.”
Moreno seems to be the one that is leaning closer to a Kentucky commitment at the moment and has locked in an official visit — but Johnson’s commitment is likely closer to an end.
Time will tell if the Wildcats and Mark Pope can keep some of the local talent exactly that. Local.
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