It’s safe to say that Mark Pope and Kentucky’s summer hasn’t exactly gone as planned. The agenda that started with “build around Tyran Stokes” has evolved into “comb the portal for whatever is left.” That’s because Stokes chose Kansas over Kentucky, of course, but that’s the risk you take.
Fortunately, though, the roster wasn’t completely suspended for the top recruit in the country. In actuality, Pope has assembled an impressive group of seasoned players and SEC-trained playmakers. However, the criticism has continued to flood in, primarily on his failure to land a big fish in the freshmen class.
BBN hasn’t held back when expressing its concerns over Kentucky losing their star player. However, former and well-known Wildcat Anthony Epps sent a message to Cats fans on X by expressing his personal thoughts on the subject. The jist?
Hold fast to your faith.
Epps Urges BBN For Support
Epps welcomed every athlete who had already signed with Kentucky in a post that received over 3,000 likes, writing, “Glad to have you and can’t wait to see how you mesh as a team.”
“Stop worrying about who is not here and get behind who is,” he continued, speaking to you, me, and every other eager Cats fan. That’s all! “Let’s go!” It appears from the comments on Epps’ post that a sizable portion of the Kentucky faithful concur with him.
Even though the roster isn’t complete, there are plenty of Wildcats, both new and returning, who are prepared to play at Rupp Arena during a contentious period in the program’s history.
That need both bravery and blue blood. Regardless of how the offseason ends, it’s time we support this bunch.
Support in Spite
It provides support despite any concerns about the outcome of the season. After last season’s high-loss, early-finish run, it’s difficult to be optimistic, but Coach Pope has approached this offseason with the seeming goal of improving at every position.
Despite not having a replacement for Otega Oweh (and Stokes) for the moment, Kentucky has been able to sign a lot of quality transfers. Leading the class are Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, as well as returners Kam Williams and (predictably) Moreno Malachi.
It’s unclear precisely how good Kentucky will be. But in the end, this team will have the support of the Big Blue Nation.
