Mark Pope is picking up steam with a shooter in the transfer portal

Mark Pope is looking to add a shooter in the transfer portal.

Dec 3, 2024; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Sam Houston State Bearkats guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) shoots the ball in the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 Kentucky basketball roster is starting to come to form after Mark Pope has landed four players in the transfer portal. The Wildcats have landed a point guard in Jaland Lowe, an athletic 6'8 high upside guard in Kam Williams, a hard-working four in Mouhamed Dioubate, and a dominant shot-blocking forward in Jayden Quaintance.

Now, one of the last pieces the Kentucky coaching staff is looking to add via the portal is a lights-out shooter. The player the staff seems to be zeroing in on is former Sam Houston guard Lamar Wilkerson.

Kentucky reached out to Wilkerson right when the portal opened, but then things got quiet about the 6'5 guard. Last season at Sam Houston, Wilkerson averaged 20.5 points per game, which was good for 13th best in the nation.

He also pulled down four rebounds and dished 2.1 assists per game. Wilkerson shot 47.7% from the field and an impressive 44.5% from three. The most promising part about this percentage from deep is the fact that it came on 7.7 attempts per game.

Wilkerson is the perfect player to come in and be the shooter for this Kentucky team. If the Wildcats are able to secure Wilkerson, then the roster would be pretty close to complete unless Coach Pope wants to add one more forward.

A player that shot 44.5% from three on 7.7 attempts per game would be incredibly scary in the Pope system that makes great shooters even better. Wilkerson could be an All-SEC type of player in the Pope system.

Quick Film | Lamar Wilkerson | @kiddlamar_

Wilkerson returns as Sam Houston's leading scorer and a 1st Team All-Conference USA player a year ago. Can consistently hit the three and is a strong finisher at the rim

👀👇 pic.twitter.com/S6VDGcGnfO

— George Michalowski (@MichalowskiCBB) August 22, 2024