Kentucky's Mark Pope visited a recruit who many are calling the next Anthony Davis

Mark Pope and his coaching staff are in the middle of getting his team ready for the 2026-27 season, but at the same time, this staff is working hard on the recruiting trail. Pope already has one player committed in the 2027 class, and that is five-star guard Ryan Hampton. BBN is very excited about Hampton, but the staff is still after some more elite players in the class.

Coach Pope is in Florida right now on the recruiting trail. Pope is at Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale to see two five-star recruits. Those recruits are Lewis Uvwo and Nasir Anderson. Both of these recruits are ranked inside the top ten of the 2027 class and would be huge additions for the Wildcats.

5⭐️ Lewis Uvwo led his squad to a championship win at ABCD Camp delivering 16 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK 🔥💯 pic.twitter.com/dQBaLEanjr
— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) August 2, 2026

Uvwo is the player that BBN really likes and thinks that he could be the next Anthony Davis. All Kentucky fans remember the historic season Davis had blocking shots as he led the Wildcats to the program's eighth national title. Uvwo could have that same type of impact on the defensive end of the floor. The 6'11 center is ranked as the #7 player in the class, and he has a 7'7 wingspan.

Knowing that Franck Kepnang is out of eligibility after this season and Malachi Moreno will likely be off to the NBA, the center position will be very important in the 2027 class. This is why Uvwo needs to be a top priority for Pope and the staff as they look for their next big man. Uvwo has room to improve on offense, but his defense will be the best in college basketball. Uvwo will be in Lexington for a visit this weekend.

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope gives an update on the upcoming 2026-27 season during a press conference in Lexington, Kentucky July 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Anderson is ranked right behind Uvwo in the class as the #8 player, and he is a special point guard. The 6'3 215-pound guard is an elite left-handed player who can get downhill with ease. There are four point guards ranked in the top ten of this class right now, and Anderson has a shot to be the best out of them all.

Recruiting is all about building relationships, and it sounds like Coach Pope is doing a good job of that with these two recruits so far. If Pope is able to land either of these two players, it would be massive for the 2027-28 season. Pope needs to knock recruiting out of the park this year.

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