Could Kentucky land the top 2025 basketball prospect?

Now that Mark Pope has mostly finished putting together his 2024-25 roster, he will shift his focus to recruiting the 2025 class. What better place is there to start than with the number one overall player?

Yesterday, Coach Pope offered AJ Dybantsa, who is the number one overall player in the 2025 class. Dybantsa was a member of the 2026 class but reclassified and will look to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Coach Pope and many other top coaches were at the EYBL event in Indianapolis, where Dybantsa and many other top prospects were. It sounds like Dybantsa really does want to play at Kentucky so Pope will have a chance here. It sounds like Coach Calipari will try and get him to Fayetteville and Bruce Pearl is trying to pull him to Auburn but Coach Pope will make a run at the classes top prospect.

If Coach Pope is going to succeed at Kentucky, he will need to have the perfect mix of veteran stars and one-and-done McDonald's All-American type of player. If he is able to land Dybantsa, he can achieve that balance.

This is definitely a recruitment Kentucky fans need to keep an eye on.

Here is On3's scouting report on Dybantsa, "AJ Dybantsa is a lengthy and wiry 6-foot-7, maybe 6-foot-8 wing. He has a slippery and smooth handle in the open floor that allows him to attack the basket downhill. He is a bouncy athlete at the rim, finishing high above in transition. Dybantsa has a smooth jump shot and can create his own shots off the bounce. He has the length and upside to be very good when he is locked in on the defensive end. With a 2007 birthday, he has the foundation of all the tools; it will simply be about continuing to get stronger and developing the vast skill base. He is tracking as one of the top players in his class."