Mark Pope has to find Kentucky's star player for the 2026-27 season

Mark Pope and Kentucky are still looking for their star player.

Feb 24, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his team against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

As we have seen over the entire history of college basketball, for a team to be successful, they have to have a star player. While the Kentucky Wildcats weren’t elite last year, they did have one in Otega Oweh, but unless a rule is changed, he is out of eligibility and won’t be back in Lexington. This means that Mark Pope has to go out and find a new star player for the Wildcats.

Right now, Kentucky has landed two players in the transfer portal, and they are both guards. Washington point guard Zoom Diallo and Furman guard Alex Wilkins. These two are going to be very good for the Wildcats next year in the backcourt. The Wildcats have also brought in a Senegalese power forward named Ousmane N’Diaye, who is going to be an elite player for Pope.

Mar 19, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks with the media during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

All of the players Kentucky has added and the returners like Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, and Braydon Hawthorne are all going to be good this season, but I don’t see any of these players being the star player for the Wildcats. Pope has to go out and find this star player, and there are multiple avenues for him to get it done.

The first avenue is an elite star caliber player pulling his name out of the NBA Draft. There are a few names that Kentucky has been associated with in this argument, but Pope would need these players to come back to college. Another route would be the rule allowing players a fifth year of eligibility to pass, and Pope getting a player like Oweh back in Lexington.

Another option would be for Pope to land a player from outside of the USA to come be the star for the Wildcats. If this were to happen, I don’t believe this player would come in as the team's surefire star player. This player would come in as a high upside player and become elite in Lexington. N’Diaye is capable of being that guy for Kentucky, but we won’t know for months.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope calls a play during the first half against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Lastly, Kentucky could land Tyran Stokes. This is the option that seems to make the most sense for the Wildcats. Stokes is a five-star in the 2026 class, ranked as the top player in the entire class. This recruitment is down to the wire, and the Kentucky Wildcats are seriously in the mix.

If Pope is going to have a good team next season, he will need a star player, and these are the avenues for him to get that done. If the Wildcats are a team full of role players, next season could be a rough one.