Three things Mark Pope must get done this offseason for Kentucky to succeed next year

This is a pivotal offseason for Mark Pope at Kentucky.

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

The 2025-26 season came to an end for the Kentucky Wildcats on Sunday as they lost to the Iowa State Cyclones in the Round of 32. Fans didn’t expect a deep run for the Wildcats, but now Mark Pope and the coaching staff have a ton of work to do to get this roster ready for next season.

Year one for Pope was a big success in Lexington, but in year two, this staff regressed. Obviously, injuries played some role in these issues, but regardless, this season was a failure. Big Blue Nation as a whole is quite frustrated with the way this season played out, and some are already calling for a regime change in Lexington. That is not going to happen, but the leash for Coach Pope is definitely starting to shorten.

This is why it is imperative that he does a really good job of improving this roster in the offseason, because Kentucky needs to have a great year next year if Pope is going to stick around long term.

Let’s take a look at three things Pope has to do this offseason to improve the roster for next year.

Three massive offseason goals for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats

Land Dink Pate

February 14, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Team G-League guard Dink Pate (1) of the Mexico City Capitanes shoots the ball against Team C during the 2025 NBA Rising Stars Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Some fans might not agree with this one, but Coach Pope and the staff should throw everything they have at G-League guard Dink Pate. He is a 6’8 guard who can do everything on the floor at a high level. He never played in college and has not ever played in an NBA game, so this situation feels different from the ones we have seen this season. Some might not like it, but college basketball is changing, and it will be adapt or die for these coaches. Pate would be a star in Lexington, and Coach Pope needs to try to get him in the blue and white.

Dominate the transfer portal

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts 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

Last season, Coach Pope missed on some players in the portal that would have made this year's team a lot better. He cannot miss on any stars in the portal this year. Coach Pope has to do his best job yet in the portal if he wants to succeed this year. Coach Pope will also have to be willing to have some tough conversations to create some space on the roster to add players via the portal.

Make a big run at Tyran Stokes

Jan 2, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Rainier Beach High School (WA) forward Tyran Stokes (4) reacts against Mater Dei during the HoopHall West Tournament at Skyline High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While the Wildcats don’t currently have any players committed in the 2026 class, they are still in the running for Tyran Stokes, who is the #1 player in the class. If Kentucky wants to land Stokes, it is going to cost a ton of NIL money, but for a player like this, it seems like it might be worth it. The Wildcats might not be front-runners right now, but they are in the race. Landing Stokes would be huge for Pope as a recruiter and would give the 2026-27 roster a lottery pick-type boost.