Kentucky should prioritize these 2026 prospects

The Kentucky staff has already began their work on the recruiting trail after visiting a couple of top prospects in the 2026 class this week. Among those the staff visited include top-20 guard Tay Kinney, who is a Kentucky native now playing at Overtime Elite, top 10 guard Caleb Holt and forward Anthony Thompson, as well as top-30 guard Austin Goosby. Kentucky is also expected to have in-home visits with top-50 forward Billy White, top-5 forward Christian Collins and others next week.

The staff has hit the ground running with no signs of stopping anytime soon as high school recruiting season begins to heat up again. Let's take a look at a few prospects Kentucky should look to prioritize in the class based on who they have contacted.

1. Tyran Stokes

This is an easy pick for a prospect that the Kentucky staff should prioritize a lot in the class. Stokes is seen as the consensus best player in 2026 and he also has Kentucky ties being a native of Louisville. On top of that, Kentucky assistant coach Jason Hart has strong recruiting ties in the state of California, which is where Stokes currently plays. Stokes is a monster of a player with a great knack of attacking the rim. A dominant force, getting Stokes would prove that Pope can reel in the big fish in high school recruiting and it would definitely be his biggest get yet given the 6-7 forward is the No. 1 player in the class.

2. Miikka Muurinen

A very intriguing fit for an offense like Mark Pope's, Muurinen has been recieving interest from the Kentucky staff essentially ever since the new staff took over last April. The 6-10 forward would be a great stretch-big in Pope's system with his ability to shoot and stretch the floor. Kentucky has certainly been one of the handful of schools involved the most with the big man, who they will be in to see next week at Compass Prep in Arizona.

3. Jason Crowe Jr.

Crowe Jr. is ranked as the best point guard in the class. Tay Kinney was definitely in consideration for one the staff should prioritize given him being a Kentucky native, but it's hard to deny Crowe being the best point guard in 2026 and how much Kentucky is interested in him. Expect Kentucky to really prioritize him as summer AAU circuits begin to start around the country. It's also worth noting the long-time ties and relationship that Kentucky assistant Jason Hart has with Crowe Jr.'s father, as well the top-5 guard being from California and Hart's ties with the West Coast. This recruitment is one to keep an eye on in the coming months.

Kentucky still has a lot of time with the 2026 class as things begin to really take shape in the coming months and recruitments get more clear over the summer as we begin to learn who coaches are really prioritizing over others. The Kentucky staff is already making their mark on the recruiting trail this summer.