Mark Pope isn’t backing down from Kentucky Basketball’s unconventional approach to roster management.
While many major programs have embraced the idea of hiring a designated general manager to oversee NIL, recruiting and transfer-portal decisions, Kentucky has chosen a different path. Instead of putting one person in charge, Pope has built a collaborative front office that includes members of his coaching staff and athletic department.
And after another highly ranked transfer portal class, Pope believes the results speak for themselves.
Speaking with Jeff Goodman on Monday, Pope pointed to Kentucky’s No. 2 transfer portal ranking from 247Sports and No. 4 ranking from ESPN as evidence that the Wildcats’ system is working.
“The first thing I want to say is, you know I love data,” Pope said. “Again, without a GM this year, we were another top five portal class.”
Kentucky’s portal campaign picked up momentum late, highlighted by the addition of Milan Momcilovic after he withdrew from the NBA Draft. The elite shooter became the centerpiece of a class that also features Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Jerone Morton, Justin McBride and Franck Kepnang.
Pope acknowledged that he isn’t opposed to the traditional GM model, but he believes Kentucky’s structure gives his staff an advantage.
“If you look at the top three teams in the portal rankings, do you know how many of those teams have a Designated GM? None,” Pope said. “So, I’m not against the GM model; I just think our model’s better.”
Kentucky’s front office includes Director of Roster Management Keegan Brown, Director of Men’s Basketball Operations Nick Robinson, associate athletic director for compliance Kevin Sergent and Kim Shelton of JMI Sports, who works with Kentucky on NIL.
But Pope says the operation goes well beyond those individuals.
Every assistant coach, according to Pope, communicates with agents, players and families on a daily basis. Rather than having those voices filtered through one general manager, Kentucky keeps the process collaborative.
“I think in hindsight there are places where we’ve made some great decisions that have kept us out of harm’s way,” Pope said. “For us, it’s so collaborative.”
That approach is especially important in an era when programs are spending enormous amounts of money on roster construction.
Kentucky reportedly had a $22 million portal budget last offseason, while programs such as Louisville, Tennessee and Texas have also entered the offseason with massive resources.
Pope believes Kentucky’s ability to combine data with input from coaches and front-office personnel has helped the Wildcats navigate the increasingly complicated college basketball landscape.
“We take the best data we can, and then we try and fill in the spaces around, and that’s what we go with,” Pope said. “And so we think we’re having some good success. We actually like what we did in the portal a lot this year.”
Kentucky still has one roster spot available, with Pope previously indicating that the Wildcats could use it to add more physicality once the ongoing eligibility uncertainty surrounding the Class of 2022 lawsuits becomes clearer.
For now, Pope appears comfortable with the system he has built.
Whether that model ultimately delivers the results Kentucky fans expect remains to be seen, but Pope clearly believes the Wildcats have found a formula worth sticking with.
