Kentucky will have a drastically new look when the Wildcats begin the 2024-25 college basketball season against Wright State on Monday, Nov. 4. After 15 seasons and 410 total wins, John Calipari left Kentucky to become the head coach at Arkansas. Kentucky quickly hired Mark Pope, a former standout player for the Wildcats, away from BYU to replace Calipari. Pope will have legendary shoes to fill, as Calipari guided the Kentucky basketball team to four Final Four appearances and one national title.
Pope won a national championship as a player at Kentucky in 1996, but he has never won an NCAA Tournament game as a head coach. The Wildcats will begin the season ranked No. 23 in the preseason Associated Press (AP) poll and the USA Today Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll. If you want to see the latest Kentucky basketball news, be sure to see what the proven team of insiders are saying at CatsPause, the 247Sports affiliate that covers Kentucky.
The team of insiders at CatsPause.com are providing up-to-the-minute scoop on the latest intel surrounding the Kentucky basketball coaching transition and roster changes. CatsPause has built a solid reputation over its 20+ years covering the Wildcats, and has deep-rooted sources inside and around the Kentucky athletic department. And right now, CatsPause is offering $1 for the first month*, so now is the time to sign up.
The team at CatsPause has full coverage of Kentucky’s roster overhaul and practice reports leading up to the season opener. Head to CatsPause now to see all the insider info.
Top Kentucky Wildcats basketball roster storylines
After losing a majority of the roster following Calipari’s departure, the Wildcats hit the transfer portal to find productive playmakers. Pope brought in players with plenty of experience to lead the charge in his first season at the helm. One of the most experienced players Pope brought in is Kerr Kriisa, who’s played in 99 career games. Kriisa has knocked down 238 3-pointers in his career and averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds for West Virginia last season. Kriisa made 42.9% of his field goals and 36.8% of his 3-pointers last season.
Otega Oweh is expected to be another major contributor for the Wildcats this season. He’s seen action in 60 games and was Oklahoma’s second-leading scorer a season ago, averaging 11.4 points per game. Oweh was effective from the field, connecting on 49.3% of his field goals in 2023-24. Kentucky’s new-look veteran lineup will also boast the likes of Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Ansley Almoner and Amari Williams, who’ve all scored at least 1,000 points in their collegiate careers. Butler and Williams were named their league’s defensive player of the year, so they’ll be disruptive on the defensive end of the floor as well. Stay up to date on the latest news involving Kentucky basketball at CatsPause.
How to get insider Kentucky basketball updates
Kentucky’s basketball roster will also feature a talented group of youngsters, including a freshman who can shoot the lights out from 3-point range, so be sure to join CatsPause to see who that is and get the rest of the insider roster news.
How is Kentucky’s basketball roster shaping up, and which freshman can make an instant impact for the Wildcats? Go to CatsPause to see their insider information, all from a team of reporters with years of experience covering the Wildcats, and find out. And reminder, CatsPause is offering $1 for the first month*, so subscribe now before it’s too late.
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