Three priorities for Kentucky's Mark Pope in the transfer portal

Coach Mark Pope has to get these three things done in the transfer portal.

Mar 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope claps 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

It is almost transfer portal time as the transfer portal is set to open up on April 7th, and Kentucky fans are excited to see what Coach Mark Pope will be able to do to improve the roster for the 2026-27 season. Coach Pope made some mistakes in the portal last season when it came to missing on some elite players, but I believe he has learned his lesson and will knock the portal out of the park this season.

Let’s take a look at three priorities for Coach Pope and the Kentucky coaching staff in the transfer portal this offseason.

Three priorities for the Kentucky coaching staff in the transfer portal

A dominant big man

Feb 28, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) goes to the basket during the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Elite big men on other teams created issues for the Kentucky Wildcats this season. Freshman seven-footer Malachi Moreno did an excellent job stepping into a tough situation this year and playing the five. I am hoping that Moreno does come back to Lexington next year and has a big offseason when it comes to development. While I want Moreno to return, Coach Pope still needs to go out and get a dominant big man who can run his offense, score down low, play high-level defense, and rebound the basketball with strong hands. A player like this to pair with sophomore Moreno would give the Wildcats an excellent frontcourt.

An elite point guard  

Jan 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jaland Lowe (15) shoots the ball during the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Point guard has been an issue for the Wildcats for two straight seasons when it comes to injuries. When Pope first got to Lexington, he had Lamont Butler and Kerr Kriisa. Butler was in and out of the lineup with a shoulder injury, and Kriisa had season-ending surgery early in the season. This season, Jaland Lowe had season-ending shoulder surgery early into SEC play, and prior to this, he was already in and out of the lineup. Pope needs to make sure he has two elite point guards on next year's team so that if one gets injured, there is some depth. The Pont guard position needs to be fixed in the portal.

Shooting

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Collin Chandler (5) shoots a three point shot against the Santa Clara Broncos during the second 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

The only true knockdown shooter the Wildcats had on this year's team was Collin Chandler. While most anticipate him back next year, Coach Pope needs to add a lot more elite three-point shooters to this team. Pope wants his teams to shoot the ball over 30 times a game from deep, but he hasn’t had the personnel to do it yet. The coaching staff needs to do everything in their power in the portal this year to make sure the Wildcats have multiple reliable three-point shooters.