How Mark Pope plans to recruit elite high school basketball talent at Kentucky – The Athletic The New York Times
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WESTFIELD,Ind.—MarkPopelookedlikeanewstudentatschoolwhowaseagertoimpressboththecoolkidsandtheteacher.Heworeallthebigbrandnames:blueKentuckyquarter-zip,whiteNikekicksandablackLouisVuittonbackpack,inwhichheconcealedthenerdierstuff.Hecertainlydidhishomework.Afterslidingintoacourtsideseatatlastweekend’sNikeEYBLrecruitingevent,Popepulledouthisgiantblackbinderstuffedfulloflistsandchartsandschedulesandnotes.Inside,hehadanalyticsreportsonallthehighschoolplayersheplannedtowatchovertheweekend,theNCAA’sfirstliveevaluationperiodsincePopetookoverasheadcoachofhisalmamater.
Thiswasanimportantcheckpoint.
Itdidn’ttakelongforPopetodemonstratehismasteryofthetransferportal,fromwhichhelandedeightplayersinhisfirstmonthonthejob.Andhe’snotdonethere,ascovetedNorthFloridatransferguardChazLaniertookanofficialvisittoLexingtononMonday.Whatremainstobeseen,however,ishowPopewillfareinrecruitingelite