Feb 19, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope calls for a player from the bench during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Here is the path for Mark Pope and Kentucky to finish with the #1 2026 recruiting class

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Oct 5, 2025 10:02 AM ET

College basketball analysts have shared their concerns with Mark Pope as a recruiter for months now, but the Wildcats head coach has a way to silence these narratives.

Over the last year, it is fair to say that Coach Pope has missed on some elite players like Caleb Wilson and Jason Crowe Jr. Some of these misses on the recruiting trail have raised some eyebrows on Coach Pope as a recruiter, but there is a path for Coach Pope to finish with an elite class and silence the haters.

There are three players that Coach Pope has a great shot with, and if he lands these guys, he will end up with the number one 2026 class.

The first player on this list is the number one overall player in the class, Tyran Stokes. The recruitment of Stokes has been back and forth, but over the last few days, it seems to be shifting all in the direction of the Wildcats.

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Stokes is going to be a generational player and very well could be the number one pick in the NBA Draft when he is eligible. If Coach Pope lands the best player in the class, it will be hard to call him a poor recruiter.

The next player that it would take for Kentucky to have the #1 class is guard Deron Rippey Jr. A lot of different schools are in the running for Rippey Jr., but Kentucky is in a good spot. Some believe Rippey is the best guard in this class, and he is definitely picking up a lot of steam.

The last player would be shooting guard Caleb Holt. The Alabama native will be in Lexington for Big Blue Madness and just cancelled his Auburn visit after the retirement of Bruce Pearl. Holt is another player who likely will be a top ten pick in the NBA Draft.

Stokes, Rippey Jr., and Holt are all top ten players in the 2026 class, so if Coach Pope were able to land all three of them, it would be a historic class in Lexington.

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If Coach Pope were to manage this, he would officially be considered an elite recruiter. If Coach Pope is able to land any of these players, it would be exciting, but if he lands two or three, it would be incredible.

These recruitments are coming down to the wire, so Kentucky fans need to pay attention to these players as Coach Pope looks to pull off a masterclass.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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