No. 1 College Basketball Recruit’s Father Almost Brought to Tears by Kentucky’s Mark Pope

Coach Pope has been aggressive on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal, working to reshape the Wildcats. One of the key prospects drawing attention is Baba Oladotun, the No. 1 overall player in ESPN’s class of 2027 rankings. The 6-foot-8 forward from James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, is gaining national attention, but Kentucky seems to be making the biggest impression.

According to a report from Jacob Polacheck of On3 Sports, Oladotun’s father, Ibrahim, was nearly moved to tears by Coach Pope’s approach.

“I was blown away. It almost brought me to tears,” Ibrahim said. “Everything that’s happening to him is very historic. That’s just remarkable. Kentucky basketball, bluegrass and all of that stuff are a big deal. It’s living the dream.”

Oladotun recently competed in a Nike EYBL event in Memphis, where he played for Team Durant. He tallied 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds and four assists in a close 74–71 loss. His performance, in front of Coach Pope, only reinforced Kentucky’s strong interest.

Ibrahim continued to praise the Wildcats and their staff. “It’s a great program. It’s probably one of the best in the country. To match that with Coach Pope—that’s incredible. I like his energy. He also has NBA experience. It doesn’t get better. They’re the blue bloods.”

Starting June 15, coaches will be allowed to directly contact players in the 2027 class. But for now, Ibrahim plans to manage his son’s recruitment carefully.

“I definitely want to handle all the calls,” he said. “I want him to focus on just being a kid and keep working. I’m going to handle that. We’re going to tell everyone the same thing. I mean, he’s 16. Remember, he’s 16. Some of these kids are 18. We’re going to listen to what everybody has to say and let them know what we’re looking for. Then, we’ll go from there.”