Kentucky coach Mark Pope has found a new target outside of the United States

Kentucky is looking for a backup center outside of the United States.

Mar 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks to his players from the sideline during the first half against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Missing on Tyran Stokes was incredibly frustrating for the Kentucky coaching staff, but Mark Pope has his eyes set on a new target in Israel. Pope is currently on a flight to Israel to have a meeting with Brazilian center Marcio Santos.

This season for the Israeli BSL Santos is averaging 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He has a ton of pro experience in one of the best leagues there is outside of the United States. While the numbers for Santos might not jump off the screen at Big Blue Nation, he has played a lot of pro basketball, and this will help him in college hoops.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Santos has played some basketball here in the United States, where he played for the Atlanta Hawks Summer League team. The one concern I have with Santos is his height at 6’8, but he does weigh about 245 pounds, so I don’t believe he will be pushed around in the SEC.

Santos is a stretch five who is capable of making the three-ball, but his ability to shoot was not the most impressive part of his film. The thing that impressed me most when watching tape on Santos was his footwork down low. We see this a lot with players overseas, but he has a very impressive skill set down low.

As an undersized center, he can't rely on his height to help him score down low, so he has developed his ability to score the ball in other ways. Knowing the role he has in a very impressive league, I do think he would be a good fit to come in and be the backup behind Malachi Moreno this season.

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts against the Santa Clara Broncos during the first half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Sometimes when players come from outside of the United States to play college basketball, they struggle, and this happens even more in the SEC. I think the fact that Santos has played in such a good league, plus the fact that he played in the Summer League, I believe his transition to a college player will be smoother than we usually see.

Knowing Coach Pope made the trip all the way to Israel shows that he really wants this kid, so if this meeting goes well, we perhaps could see a commitment soon. Kentucky has really needed a backup center behind Moreno, and contrary to what a lot of BBN is saying I think Santos would be a really good fit.

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