The rush of initial skepticism that greeted Mark Pope's hiring at Kentucky gave way to optimism over the last few months as Pope assembled his first roster at his alma mater following five seasons at BYU. Unlike his predecessor — John Calipari — so often did, Pope won't be relying on five-star freshmen.
Instead, it will be a cast of veteran transfers tasked with getting the Pope era off to a strong start. Not a single scholarship player from UK's 2023-24 roster returns, and six of the newcomers are on their fifth season of college basketball.
Of the 12 scholarship players on Kentucky's roster, only five have eligibility remaining beyond the 2024-25 season. Three of those with multiple seasons of eligibility remaining are freshmen who may struggle to earn significant playing time this season. So while most members of UK's 2024-25 rotation won't be around long, they will be suiting up for a pivotal season in program history.
The standard remains high at Kentucky — despite the program's lack of recent NCAA Tournament success — and it's on Pope to craft a team that can compete for an SEC title and progress in the Big Dance as he seeks to build momentum. As college basketball's offseason player movement cycle stops for good, it's time to start breaking down the rosters of the sport's top programs. For this installment, we're taking a look at the Wildcats and trying to decipher what their lineup could look like when the season begins.
Projected starting lineup
1. Lamont Butler
6-2 | 204 | Gr.
Butler made the Mountain West's all-defense team three times during four seasons at San Diego State, which makes him a nice change of pace from Kerr Kriisa, who is his top competitor for the job. The trade-off is that he's a less-effective 3-point shooter. But having both Butler and Kriisa on the roster is an example of how Pope has options for how to play based on matchups and situations.
2. Otega Oweh
6-4 | 208 | Jr.
Oweh's offensive efficiency dipped significantly against Big 12 opponents during his sophomore season at Oklahoma. However, he rated as OU's top defender, per evanmiya.com, and that defensive skill set will give him an excellent chance to crack Pope's starting rotation, especially if offense-first players like Kriisa and Brea are in the lineup.
3. Koby Brea
6-7 | 206 | Gr.
Brea led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage at 49.8% at Dayton last season. Pope's BYU team ranked third nationally in made 3-pointers per game at 11.1. It looks like a perfect marriage between player and scheme. Though there's not much diversity to his game, Brea's perimeter marksmanship should make him a mainstay in UK's rotation.
4. Andrew Carr
6-11 | 227 | Gr.
Pope called Carr Kentucky's "most important piece." As an offensively versatile forward, he can keep the floor spaced with his 3-point stroke (37.1% at Wake Forest last season) or play out of the post. Carr is also a plus defender. Forwards with his two-way chops and offensive efficiency are a rare find, and he could be a matchup problem for opposing forwards in the SEC.
5. Brandon Garrison
6-10 | 245 | So.
Garrison is a McDonald's All-American from the Class of 2023 who looked the part during his freshman season at Oklahoma State. He blocked 1.5 shots per game in just 22.7 minutes of action and converted 57.2% of his shots inside the arc. Not only can Garrison help UK in 2024-25, but there's a chance he could stick around even longer and develop into an all-conference performer.
Bench
Jaxson Robinson
6-6 | 191 | Gr.
Robinson isn't the sixth-most talented player on this roster. Far from it. But Pope deployed him as BYU's sixth man last season, and he won the Big 12's Sixth Man of the Year award. The lanky wing is a talented scorer with prior SEC experience at Texas A&M and Arkansas. It would be no surprise if he starts. But given Pope's past usage of Robinson, it's easy to envision him coming off the bench.
Kerr Kriisa
6-3 | 190 | 5th
Love him or hate him, Kriisa is never dull. The former Arizona and West Virginia point guard is bringing his shameless, trash-talking flair back to the national spotlight at UK. A whopping 79.8% of his career field-goal attempts are from beyond the arc, and his assist-to-turnover ratio has never been great. It's a combustible combination that will make him a fascinating piece of Pope's first roster.
Amari Williams
7-0 | 265 | Gr.
Williams is a three-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year from his time at Drexel. Based on sheer talent, it'd be a surprise if Williams supplanted Garrison in the frontcourt. However, he's a seasoned veteran and paint enforcer.
Ansley Almonor
6-7 | 232 | Sr.
Almonor was a key part of the FDU team that knocked off No. 1 seed Purdue in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Now, after consecutive all-conference seasons in the NEC, the stretch forward is ratcheting up the competition level a few degrees. He's a proven, high-volume 3-point threat. He'll need to show he can defend. If he can do it, his shooting will be a valuable asset.
Depth
Collin Chandler | 6-5 | 187 | Fr.
Travis Perry | 6-1 | 178 | Fr.
Trent Noah | 6-5 | 209 | Fr.
The veteran-oriented nature of Kentucky's roster will make it tough for these freshmen to carve out significant roles. While none are of the five-star variety that typically populated Calipari's rosters, there is some hope for multiyear development here. Perry and Noah are both in-state prospects with long-term upside who will be proud to wear Kentucky blue. Chandler is a former Pope commit at BYU and top-40 prospect from the Class of 2022. He'll be getting his first taste of collegiate action after a two-year church mission.