For a long time, Kentucky’s recruiting efforts have been quiet. Although Mark Pope’s third-year squad appears to be almost finished, the Wildcats are still working on a few roster issues and have some NIL cash left over. A backup center for Malachi Moreno is one of those requirements.
Naturally, that is presuming Moreno comes back from the NBA Draft. For now, Kentucky’s staff is actively searching for a backup option at the five, but we’ll deal with that when the time comes. Additionally, Marcio Santos appeared to be the top priority for a few weeks.
However, according to Jonathan Givony, the Israeli big man that Coach Pope traveled to see in person last week has made a commitment elsewhere. Santos will join Will Wade and LSU, leaving the Cats without a backup center and another Kentucky offer on the table.
The 23-year-old’s deadly ability to get downhill is evident from a quick look at his highlight reel. Despite being undersized at the five, the big man’s 250-pound frame more than makes up for it.
Santos demonstrated the ability to extend his game to the arc while shooting a hyper-consistent 51% clip from the field overall during the previous season with Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv. He is steady on both sides of the ball and has clean mechanics.
Wade received a good one during his first year back in Baton Rouge. Given the chance to start and the possibility of a deeper NIL bag, Santos probably leaned LSU. In any case, Pope went above and above to try to sign the man, who was a major Kentucky target.
Regretfully, this is yet another recruiting failure. The Wildcats will need to change course once more.
The Wildcats Pivot Once More
However, as the weeks drag on and options quickly become available, the question arises: Who will Kentucky turn to?
Now that Santos is officially out of the picture, the Cats’ frontcourt depth is lacking. Although several of the well-known names that the Wildcats could have previously been in on are no longer available, the transfer portal is still operational.
Coach Pope’s time for picking and choosing is probably running out now that May is almost a week old. A blank check now and a painful revamp later could be necessary to fix whatever is wrong with Kentucky’s recruiting process.
